Article Title

“None but the Brave Deserve the Fair?” An Analysis of Lovers Postcards From the First World War

Authors

Randall SlonakerFollow

Abstract

Over ten percent of postcards in the Lovers Portraits Vol. 1 binder feature couples where the man is wearing a military uniform, with twenty-two of these cards depicting men in World War I era, United States military garb. The images and captions featured on these cards evoke familiar ideas of romance, courtship, and marital fidelity. Therefore, I have chosen to write a short synopsis that groups all of the World War One themed cards in this binder in one of three categories: courtship and pursuit, domesticity and marriage, and marital commitment and fidelity. I have positioned the images and captions featured on these cards in a historical context concerning America during the war. Specifically, I deal with the putative “Crisis in Masculinity” that many hoped would be cured by a regenerative, cleansing war, and the brave new post-war world envisioned by Woodrow Wilson.

The David P. Campbell Postcard Collection, searchable at postcard.uakron.edu, is a key collection of the CCHP’s Institute for Human Science and Culture.

Recommended Citation

Slonaker, Randall (2019) "“None but the Brave Deserve the Fair?” An Analysis of Lovers Postcards From the First World War," Student Projects from the Archives: Vol. 1 , Article 3.
Available at: https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/spa/vol1/iss1/3