Historical Portrait
John H. Davis (World War I, Tulare County)
Archive record
Public domain historical portrait of John H. Davis from Tulare County, California during World War I era, circa 1914. Part of California historical archives.
About this photograph
The archive catalogues this as a portrait of John H. Davis from Tulare County during the First World War period.
The United States entered the war in April 1917, and Selective Service eventually registered around 24 million men. Local studios photographed enlistees in uniform before they left for service, often producing the only formal portrait a young man ever sat for. Many families kept copies at home.
Tulare County sits in California's San Joaquin Valley, a farming region that grew through irrigated agriculture in the later nineteenth century. The county library maintains a local history photograph collection documenting ordinary residents rather than public figures.
The portrait comes from material digitised through California Revealed, a statewide programme that makes collections from California libraries and historical societies publicly available. The date range 1914 to 1918 spans the war years, though the United States did not enter until partway through. 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.
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