Historical Portrait
Sidney Cruff (World War I, Tulare County)
Archive record
Historical portrait of Sidney Cruff from Tulare County, California, taken in 1914 during World War I era. Public-domain photograph from archive collection.
About this photograph
Sidney Cruff, photographed in Tulare County in 1914, sits within the large group of local enlistees whose portraits were taken during the First World War era. The United States entered the conflict in April 1917, and studios across the country photographed young men in uniform before they departed. These images were often made so that families could keep a copy at home.
The date range given by the archive spans 1914 to 1918. If the photograph does indeed date to 1914, it would precede American entry into the war by three years. The record provides no information about Cruff's military service, branch, unit or fate.
Tulare County lies in California's San Joaquin Valley, a region built on irrigated farming and settled largely in the late nineteenth century. The county library maintains a local history photograph collection focused on ordinary residents rather than public figures. Many such collections across California have been digitised and made available through California Revealed, a statewide programme that brings together material from libraries, archives and museums. The photographer remains unidentified.
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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