Do you recognize me?

 

 Soldiers develop a habit of standing in formation,
even when they are supposedly at ease.
Unlike civilians, they easily follow orders, too,
like when a photographer shouts,
"Everyone look at the camera!"

That was certainly the case
for this large group photo of over 50 French soldiers,
most of whom were members of the band
with their brass instruments and drums
stacked precariously in front.
Behind them along a small rise
is a line of civilians who likely
just heard the band perform.

 

The postcard has no date but it was addressed to Monsieur & Madame X. Pichon of Duclair, a commune on the Seine River northwest of Paris in the Normandy region of northern France. A penciled note is not a date, I think, and doesn't look contemporary with a message in ink written underneath. I can't be certain, but I think the photo was taken during World War I or possibly a year or two before.

 

 

                                             C'est ma premiere photo
                                en musicien. J'ai marque
                                d'une X mon petit intrument
                                  Nous sommet photographied
                                au bord de la Seine a Bayatelle
                                dans le bois de Boulogne.
                                            ~
                                  This is my first photo
                                as a musician. I marked
                                my little instrument with an X
                                  We were photographed
                                on the banks of the Seine at Bayatelle
                                in the Bois de Boulogne.

The number 183 probably refers to the bandsman's infantry regiment. His X is on the bell of a tuba that leans on a bass drum in the center of the heap of instruments. (For some reason a very common habit in photos of French military bands) 

 

One more  X . . . . marks his face looking expectantly from the back of the group. It must have made his parents very proud.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sailors were trained to march in formation, too.
And doubtless paid more attention to orders than soldiers
since in the navy keeping everything ship shape
was a matter of sink or swim.

Here a navy band of over 50 musicians
are lined up on a dirt parade ground
in front of a row of navy barracks.
All wear a the traditional
white uniform and cap of the U. S. Navy.
Except for one man standing left.
 

His name is Bob.

 

 

                                You notice, second
                                rows – all Trombone
                                Instruments.  You
                                doubtless will recog-
                                nize the Officer in
                                dark blue Uniform,
                                your recent boarder.

 

Though there is no postmark or other clues as to the location and date, I think this photo was taken at a navy training base sometime in the 1910–1920 decade. A navy Band Master was a First Class Petty Officer rank. This band is much too large a complement for a battleship, so Bob is preparing recruits who will soon be individually assigned to a ship's band.

 

* * *

 

 

 Whenever possible, photographers preferred to
set a group of servicemen on bleachers so that the tiers
exposed every face to a clear view of the camera.
Each bandsmen knew how to carry his instrument
in military readiness just as if it was a rifle.

 

In this postcard photo
the group is identified in a caption as
the Band of the 2nd U. S. Infantry
Camp Stotsenberg (sic), P. I.

The postcard was sent from the Philippine Islands on 6 September 1906 to Miss Lulu Kahrmann (?) of Denver, Colorado. Notice that the postcard is labeled as officially approved for 13 international postal services.

 

 

                                Dear Friend Lester –
                                going to move on the 20th
                                for Mindaanao. (sic)  Hope you
                                are well just got over the
                                Malaria fever  feel good now.
                                Write a letter soon  Your truly
                                                      George Hutchinson
                                This is our band the best in
                                the Islands
                                      With the X on top is George.

 

 

This photo postcard is a relic from a largely forgotten and tragic period of American history that began with the Spanish–American War of 1898. As the victor in that very brief war, the United States acquired several foreign territories from the Spanish and suddenly became a colonial empire with new possessions all over the world. In the Philippine Islands the promise of independence for its native people was rejected by the American government which resulted in a very bloody and devastating long conflict, the Philippine–American War (1899–1902) followed by the Moro Rebellion (1902–1913). By the time this photograph of the 2nd U. S. Infantry Band was taken in 1906, the United States military had over 25,000 troops stationed at 20 camps around the Philippine Islands which included at least 5 regimental bands. If you look closely there are two Filipino musicians in this band of 33 musicians, a clarinetist and a soprano saxophonist.

 

Camp Stotsenburg (the correct spelling) was situated in Sapang Bato, Angeles City, approximately 50 miles north of Manila. It was named after Colonel John M. Stotsenburg, a Captain of the Sixth U.S. Cavalry, and a Colonel of the First Nebraska Volunteers who was killed on April 23, 1899 while leading his regiment in action near Quingua, Bulacan, the Philippines. The camp later became known as Fort Stotsenburg and was expanded into an important air force station during the long American occupation of the Philippines. The base was destroyed in WWII during the Japanese occupation.

 

 

 

Private George Hutchinson stands in the back row left holding a flugelhorn. According to army records George was from Denver, Colorado and first enlisted in January 1906. He remained in the Philippines through 1907 and then re-enlisted in 1909 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

 

It's not hard to pick out the band leader,
the drum major, the chief musician,
and even the commandant
(the tall fellow center in jodhpurs and cavalry boots.)

But who was the most important member of this band?

 The chef of musicians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where it's never too late
to appreciate postcards from the past.