Historical Portrait
E. Paul Rhodes (World War I, Tulare County)
Archive record
Historical portrait of E. Paul Rhodes from World War I era, Tulare County, California, 1914. Public domain photograph from historical archive collection.
About this photograph
The archive record names E. Paul Rhodes and places this portrait in Tulare County during the First World War years.
The date range 1914 to 1918 spans the war itself, though the United States did not enter until April 1917. After that, Selective Service registered millions of men and local photography studios did steady business making portraits of enlistees in uniform before they departed. Many of these photographs were made so families could keep a copy at home. County historical collections across the country hold large numbers of such portraits, often the only formal photograph a young man ever sat for.
Tulare County sits in California's San Joaquin Valley, a farming region that grew rapidly in the late nineteenth century and depended on irrigated agriculture. The county library maintains a local history photograph collection documenting ordinary residents, families, schools and businesses rather than public figures.
The record does not indicate whether Rhodes enlisted, was drafted, or what became of him. The photographer is unknown.
Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.
Rights & Attribution
Explore
More from the 1910s
