Still Pictures Aerial Photography in Record Group 319: Records of the Army Staff

Aerial and Panoramic Photographs of Various Countries and the United States, 1942 - 1964 (319-CE)

This series, while a part of the records of the U.S. Army Staff, was originally created by the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Initially, the photographs were a part of the Signal Corps files for the period ca. 1940-1954, but were removed and restricted from public use by the Public Information Office and or other elements of the Army Staff. The exact reason for removal and restriction (markings specify that they are For Official Use Only) is difficult to determine, but it is presumed that it may have been for reasons of personnel privacy, military security or some other security or privacy related considerations. The photographs in this series document aerial and panoramic views of various foreign countries. The photographs also contain executions of German war criminals after World War II; military and civilian casualties and atrocities during World War II and the Korean War. Approximately 60 percent of the prints have corresponding negatives in the photographic file of the Army Signal Corps for the period 1940 through 1954 (111-SC). Original negatives for Signal Corps numbers over 500,000 are still in the custody of Naval Imaging Command (NIC). Researchers should contact NIC to obtain reproductions. Approximately 70 percent of the prints in this series are duplicated in the contact prints of the Army Signal Corps but less than 10 percent are duplicated in the binders. The finding aid for the series is available in the Still Pictures Research Room. This series is partially digitized.

Miscellaneous Activities of the U.S. Army, 1940 - 1966 (319-SF)

This is a miscellaneous collection of photographs dealing with a wide variety of subjects concerning the activities, personnel, and functions of the U.S. Army from 1940 to 1966. These photographs were taken by Army Signal Corps photographers and were formed into an alphabetical subject file by the U.S. Army Photographic Agency, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Communications and Electronics, Department of the Army. The vast majority of photographs are from the 1946-64 period, including numerous photos from the Korean Conflict, while a small number deal with World War II and the Vietnam Conflict. The photos depict Army activities in a number of different countries and regions, including various areas of the United States, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Germany, France, England, Greece, Greenland, and Canada. Subjects covered by the photos include Army atomic weapons tests at Camp Desert Rock, Nevada, in 1957; Korean War atrocities and prisoners repatriation; logistical problems in Greenland in 1952; Army buildings, barracks, port facilities, depots, and warehouses around the world; activities of the Engineer, Judge Advocate General, Medical, Signal, Chemical, and Ordnance Corps, as well as other Army branches and commands; executions of Nazi war criminals; industrial redevelopment in post-war Japan; various U.S. Army, joint-service, and NATO exercises and maneuvers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia; Nike missile sites and facilities in various parts of the U.S.; the processing of refugees from Hungary in 1956; combat operations and activities in World War II and Korea; and U.S. advisory efforts, Special Forces facilities, and combat operations in Vietnam up through 1966. All photographs in this series are identified by Signal Corps ("SC") six-digit numerical designations. The original negatives for all photos numbered above 500,000 are in the custody of the Still Media Depository, Naval Imaging Command (LGP-R), Washington, D.C. 20374-1681. The finding aid for the series is available in the Still Pictures Research Room. 

Motion Picture Stills Relating to Economic, Military and Political Sites and Activities in Communist Countries, ca. 1944 - 1954 (319-NS)

This series consists of images taken from motion picture footage of industrial, agricultural, military, and political locales, resources, operations, and personages in the Soviet Union, China, and other Communist nations. Most images in this series are accompanied by detailed captions indicating the subject or locale and the date; for locales, the map coordinates are also provided. Photographs in this series include aerial views of cities and surrounding landscapes; close-range views of buildings, factories (exterior and interior angles); and pictures of locomotives, transport vehicles, heavy machinery, weapons, soldiers, and political figures. The finding aid for the series is available in the Still Pictures Research Room. 

Photographs of Army Posts and Camps Within the United States, 1946 - 1966 (319-CF)

This series while a part of the records of the U.S. Army Staff, was originally created by the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Initially the prints were part of the Signal Corps files for the period ca. 1940-1954, but were removed and restricted from public use by the Public Information Office and or other elements of the Army Staff. The exact reason for removal and restriction (markings specify that they are For Official Use Only) is difficult to determine, but it is presumed that it may have been for reasons of personnel privacy. military security or some other security or privacy related considerations. This series of photographs contains aerial and panoramic views of Army posts and camps within the United States. The series also contains photographs of U.S. Army Personnel demonstrating and instructing military personnel from various countries on the use of equipment, and photographs of civilian personnel using electronic data processing equipment. Approximately 50 percent of the prints have corresponding negatives in the photographic file of the Army Signal Corps for the period 1940 through 1954. (111-SC). Original negatives for Signal Corps numbers over 500,000 are still in the custody of the Naval Imaging Command (NIC). Researchers should contact DAVA to obtain reproductions. Approximately 80 percent of the prints in this series are duplicated in the contact prints of the Army Signal Corps but less than 5 percent are duplicated in the binders. The finding aid for the series is available in the Still Pictures Research Room. 

Reconnaissance Photographs of Areas in Eastern Europe and Asia, 1954 - 1957 (319-RC)

This series consists of ground-level and aerial reconnaissance views of areas in Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, China, Iran, Korea, Turkey, and Taiwan. The purpose of these photographs was to test a new 100-inch focal length camera, manufactured by the Simmon Brothers, for use by the Army. The tests went by the name "Project Muleback 100". Beginning in 1954, Signal Corps photographic teams tested the camera and its improved versions for use in aerial reconnaissance and ground-level missions. Most of the images were taken with infrared film. Copies of the reports for each mission apparently went to the Office of the Chief Signal Officer and to the Army Staff. Included in this series is a copy of the first report for "Project Muleback 100", describing the operation of the camera during its use along the Greek-Albanian border in late 1954. This report is found in box 1. Other reports relating to these photographs may be found in the RG 319 decimal files under number 413.53 (Photographic Equipment). These files are in the custody of the Archives' Textual Projects Division. Captions for these photographs include the date of the photograph, map coordinates of the location photographed, and brief descriptions of the area (giving names of rivers or towns). Original negatives for these prints are found in RG 111, Series SC (refer to the "SC" number on the back of each print).