Today’s post will be a little different than most of my typical photographically-centered material. Various government offices and departments printed these for a multitude of reasons.  Some were printed by the Red Cross, others were aimed at health and hygiene, some were distributed by the Stars and Stripes to help wounded soldiers feel a bond with their Division or branch of the Army, while others were directed towards tourism and cultural sensitivity.  All the scans in today’s post are from my collection and have been picked up over the years for a few dollars each.  Some are very common, while others are scarce.  The most popular amongst collectors are the divisional histories printed and put out by the Stars and Stripes.  Some can fetch upwards of $100 US.

Many of the artists and writers for these publications are unknown and lost to history.  In a few cases I’ve been able to track down the names of the original illustrators.  Here are a few that I’ve researched for this website:

 

And here are some illustrated booklets which were printed in order to direct US service members stationed or visiting foreign countries:

 

And here’s an obscure language guide specifically printed for US soldiers, marines and airmen in Iceland.

 

This one was given out by Coca-Cola as a notebook and calendar:

 

These two booklets were aimed at keeping sailors from catching venereal diseases while away on shore leave:

 

 

This rare booklet was a pro-socialist publication”

 

Here are some example of divisional histories put out at the end of the war:

 

 

 

And these were focused on specific service branches:

 

 

 

 

 

And some are tough to categorize: