[Women][World War II][WAVES]Photo Album of a WAVE by Bicknell, Laura

New York City and Dahlgren, Virginia: 1943-1946. 10¼" x 13¼". String tied, full leather. 80 pages with 382 black and white photographs mostly inserted into corner mounts + seven postcards written to Bicknell's mother laid in. Most photos measure from 2½" x 3½" to 5¼" x 3 3/8" and none appear to be captioned. Album very good with light wear and some loss at edges; contents generally near fine or better save for a few photos with holes punched in the border, not affecting images. Two photos are missing. This is an album created by Laura Bicknell, from Shapleigh, Maine who enlisted with the WAVES on May 18, 1943. With the exception of around 20 family photos, the album is devoted exclusively to her experience in the military. The first part of the album has a number of photos showing women at Hunter College. Enlisted WAVES had been training at several different universities at the outset of the program, and Hunter was later chosen as it provided the best facilities to manage such a large number of trainees. Hunter was commissioned February 8, 1943 as "The U. S. Naval Training Center, the Bronx" and became known as the "USS Hunter. " The photos here include outstanding portraits and group shots, as well as images of living quarters. There's a series of group pictures depicting the women in silly poses including one risque image where two are about to kiss. A few recreational shots show the women horseback riding. At least 120 photos show the women in uniform and at least a dozen show them in mechanic's coveralls. After graduation, Bicknell was an Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class and assigned to the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia. Here we see the women playing baseball, doing laundry, posing with planes and more. There are also a number of shots of men at the base. The seven postcards home are mostly from 1946 and are short simple notes such as "gee but I'm having a nice time. " Bicknell was discharged in August, 1948 but reenlisted in August 1951 and became a WAVE photographer. An outstanding collection of well composed WAVE imagery. This item is offered by Langdon Manor Books, LLC, antiquarian booksellers. Please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information and/or photos and we will respond promptly. We package our items carefully, ship daily, and have a no hassle returns policy--your satisfaction is guaranteed. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) , the International League of Antiquarian Booksllers (ILAB) and the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) and adhere to their rules of ethics.