Record Group 404: Records of the U.S. Military Academy, 1800 - 1993. Series: Photographs of Activities and Events at West Point Military Academy, ca. 1966 - ca. 2016. Photograph of Formation Review. National Archives Identifier 239941287
Many of these photographs are uncaptioned or contain unknown subjects. We are looking for Citizen Archivists to add keyword tags to photographs in this series. You can add tags to help identify people, topics, or subjects, making them more searchable and discoverable in the Catalog. Get started tagging!
Photographs of Activities and Events at West Point Military Academy
Photograph of Members of African-American Cavalry Regiment (Enlisted to Train Cadets in Horsemanship) Displaying Equestrian Skills, ca. 1925. National Archives Identifier 239939037
More about this series:
This series consists of photographs taken at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. The images were created by White Studio of New York City between approximately 1912 and 1934.
In 2017, the photographic negatives were transferred from West Point to the National Archives in College Park for storage, conservation treatment, and digitization of film found to be nitrate. The scans currently available in the Catalog are from some of the earliest film negatives in the collection.
Within this series, you will find a variety of events and activities related to the West Point Military Academy, including arrival at dormitories, parades and drills, marksmanship and firearms training, field training, infantry squad tactics and Air Service training. Photographs include individuals as well as groups and locations. Many of the photographs are of cadets in training, however, there are also portraits of individual cadets and family members as well as photographs of instructors, visiting foreign dignitaries and sporting events.
Included within this series are photographs of Buffalo Soldiers serving at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, decades before the military was officially integrated.
Photograph of Reception Ceremony--Parade Participants Including Soldiers from African-American Cavalry Regiment (Enlisted to Train Cadets in Horsemanship), ca. 1929. National Archives Identifier 239940425
The images were identified by a preservationist who was digitizing thousands of nitrate negatives transferred from the Academy to the Still Picture Branch of the National Archives. Recognized for their expertise in riding, African American cavalry noncommissioned officers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments were stationed at West Point to serve in the Academy’s Detachment of Cavalry and teach Academy cadets military horsemanship. Starting in 1907, the detachment became a “colored unit” composed of African American soldiers during a time when the military was still racially segregated. The Buffalo Soldiers instructed cadets until 1947.
Photograph of Cavalry Detachment Football Team, Composed of Members of African-American Cavalry Regiment Enlisted to Provide Horsemanship Training at West Point. National Archives Identifier 239940159
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Photographs of Activities and Events at West Point Military Academy
Help us tag features and details found in photographs from West Point Military Academy. You can add tags that point out location, rank, activities, equipment, vehicles, clothing, uniforms, animals, and more. Need help? See our “What Makes a Good Tag” tutorial.
Many of these photographs are uncaptioned or contain unknown subjects. We are looking for Citizen Archivists to add keyword tags to photographs in this series to help identify people, topics, or subjects, making them more searchable and discoverable in the Catalog.
Every keyword tag added helps to make these records more searchable and accessible online. Get started tagging!
