[ANNOTATED VERNACULAR PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM KEPT BY AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., DOCUMENTING HER FAMILY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY HER MILITARY BROTHERS WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR II]

[Various locations, 1945. Approximately 100 photographs, the great majority mounted, most captioned in white ink on the album leaves. Oblong octavo. Contemporary brown textured boards, string tied. Moderate wear to album. Occasional heavy wear to photographs, a few removed, a handful loose. Overall very good. A charming collection of family photographs assembled by Ola A. Mayo Brandon of Washington, D.C. Ola A. Mayo (born 1918) was raised as one of twelve children in rural Moneta, Virginia, and by 1940 had moved to Washington, D.C. and was employed as a domestic worker. In 1941 she married Sheppard A. Brandon (1919-1977), who joined the army the following year. Sheppard appears just a couple of times, as a civilian. Several other relatives in uniform are pictured here, including brothers William, Edward, and Samuel Mayo, and brother- in-law Sergeant Willie F. Brandon. Some of the photographs of the male service members are dated in the years of World War II, indicating that these men served their country during the war. Ola also seems to have found new work during the war. One snapshot shows her standing in front of a school bus, captioned "I am the driver." A small percentage of the photographs are post- war, and there are numerous shots of African- American women and children, most of whom are named. An excellent source of African- American family history for the Washington, D.C. area and a record of service for at least four military servicemen of the Greatest Generation (Inventory #: WRCAM56588)