Arthur L. Brawley Photographic Collection, 1944-1945
| Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs
ID: RG2/021
Extent: 0.2 Cubic Feet

1 box

This collection is partially processed. The photographs are arranged into folders based on location, and folders are arranged alphabetically by title.

Arthur Leslie Brawley (b. 1916) was an ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) from 1944 to 1945. The Arthur L. Brawley Photographic Collection contains 173 photographic prints taken during his service with AFS in Belgium, Italy, and Germany (including his assistance in the evacuation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp) during World War II.

Arthur Leslie Brawley was born on September 8, 1916, in New York City to Edwin James Brawley and Phyllis S. Brawley. Brawley attended White Plains High School and worked in the Remington Arms Co.
Brawley volunteered to become an ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) in January 1944, and departed from the United States in March 1944 with unit CM 68. He served with the AFS 567 Company in Italy and Germany, and assisted in the evacuation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after its liberation in 1945 as a member of “D” Platoon. Brawley was repatriated to the United States in June 1945, following the cessation of hostilities in Europe.


Acquired:
2006.
Restrictions: This collection is open for research. Cotton gloves are required for the handling of all photographic material. Some of the photographs in this collection are bent or curved, and researchers must request permission from the AFS Archives staff before viewing them.
Rights: Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be submitted in writing to the Archives. In the event that this research becomes a source for publication, a credit line indicating the Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs is required. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Acquisition Note:
The Arthur L. Brawley Collection was donated to the Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs by his wife, Peggy Brawley, in 2006.
Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], [Date]; Arthur L. Brawley Collection; Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs, New York, NY.
Scope and Contents: The Arthur L. Brawley Collection contains 173 photographic prints (some of which are duplicates) taken during his service as an ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) in Italy, Germany, and Belgium. The prints range in size from 1 ¼” x 1 ¾” to 6 ½” x 4 ½”, and include a few contact prints at 4½” x 1 ¼”. Some of the larger photographs appear to be reprints of the smaller, original prints. With the exception of a few photographs from Italy, the prints are largely uncaptioned, though some are numbered on the verso. The images include landscapes, cemeteries (including the Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium), monuments (including the Victor Emmanuel Monument in Rome, Italy), the assistance of AFS in the evacuation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany (including camp prisoners and the burning of the barracks), daily activities of AFS drivers (including amusements, such as swimming and riding a donkey), and local civilians (including some peasants in Italy.)