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Myth of the Eastern Front photograph collection

 Collection
Identifier: P1495

Scope and Contents

The Myth of the Eastern Front photograph collection consists of 1 box containing personal photographs and material collected by Edward J. Davies and Ronald M. Smelser in relation to their 2007 book The Myth of the Eastern Front: The Nazi-Soviet War in American Popular Culture. The collection includes color photographs of family portraits, perhaps of donor Davies and his family, dating from approximatley 2000-2005; color slides of World War II propaganda posted, labeled "from Chapter 1: World War II Presentation in 1994); and copy prints of illustrations used in the book and photographs of other book covers. While the posters and illustrations used in the book date from World War II, approximately 1940-1945, the copy prints and slides of them were created during the course of researching the book and date from approximately 1994 to 2005.

Dates

  • 1994-2005

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Myth of the Eastern Front photograph collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator.

Historical Note

The Myth of the Eastern Front: The Nazi-Soviet War in American Popular Culture by Edward J. Davies and Ronald M. Smelser was published by Cambridge University Press in 2007. Davies and Smelser state that their book "is the story of how the Germans, through a network of former high Wehrmacht officers and Bundeswehr officers who had served in World War II, created in the minds of the American military, then journalists and popular writers, an interpretation of World War II in the East disturbingly similar to that projected by Hitler's regime during the war itself and that left the Wehrmacht with a largely 'clean' reputation as to its conduct of that war. This view, which the Americans gradually absorbed during the 1950s, continues in the popular literature and part of the media to this day, and indeed delineates a broad subculture of general readers, German military enthusiasts, war game aficionados, military paraphernalia collectors, and reenactors."

Edward J. Davies and Ronald M. Smelser are professors at the University of Utah.

Extent

1 Box (46 items)

Abstract

The Myth of the Eastern Front: The Nazi-Soviet War in American Popular Culture is a 2007 historical study about American popular culture during World War II written by Edward J. Davies and Ronald Smelser. This collection contains research into and illustrations from the book, as well as personal photographs of its authors.

Arrangement

Arranged by subject

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Edward J. Davies in 2007.

Separated Materials

See also the Myth of the Eastern Front records (Accn2380) in the Manuscripts Division of Special Collections.

Processing Information

Processed by Special Collections staff.
Title
Guide to the Myth of the Eastern Front photograph collection, 1994-2005
Author
Finding aid created by Claire A. Kempa
Date
2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid encoded in English in Latin script.

Repository Details

Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository

Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863