A 5.5x3.5" vintage half tone photo postcard from a large collection of postcards brought back from WW1 by a Pvt John F Farrell of Battery B, 11th Field Artillery.

Photo Overview

This WW1-era postcard shows a busy company street in the Depot Brigade area of Camp Devens, Massachusetts, circa 1917-1918. Dozens of U.S. Army soldiers in campaign hats and uniforms mill about the wide dirt street, flanked by rows of two-story wooden military barracks shaded by tall trees. The word "CENSORED" appears stamped in the lower left corner of the image - a reminder that even seemingly innocuous camp postcards were subject to military review before mailing.

This postcard comes from a collection brought back from World War 1 by Pvt. John F. Farrell of Battery B, 11th Field Artillery - giving it a direct, documented soldier provenance.

Historical Notes

Camp Devens was established in 1917 near Ayer, Massachusetts, as one of the largest military training camps in the United States, named after Civil War General Charles Devens. The Depot Brigade depicted here served as the processing and training hub through which hundreds of thousands of draftees passed before shipping overseas. The camp became tragically notorious in September 1918 when it was one of the first sites in the United States struck by the catastrophic influenza pandemic - one of the deadliest outbreaks in recorded history, killing dozens of soldiers per day at its peak.

Pvt. John F. Farrell's unit, the 11th Field Artillery, was part of the 2nd Division, AEF. The regiment saw significant action in France, participating in major engagements including the Battle of Belleau Wood and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Camp Devens was later redesignated Fort Devens and remained an active military installation for decades, finally closing as an Army base in 1996 and becoming Devens, a unique Massachusetts planned community and reserve center.

Text Present

Front, bottom caption: "A COMPANY STREET IN DEPOT BRIGADE, CAMP DEVENS, MASS."
Front, lower left corner stamp: "CENSORED"

Back, upper left: "THIS SPACE FOR WRITING MESSAGES"
Back, center top: "Post Card"
Back, right: "PLACE STAMP HERE"
Back, center right: "THIS SPACE FOR ADDRESS...ONLY"

Print analysis

This is a halftone photo postcard, not an RPPC. Zooming into the image reveals a clear dot pattern consistent with halftone printing rather than a continuous-tone photographic process. The back design with the decorative "Post Card" script and standard divided back format is consistent with WW1-era (c.1917-1918) commercial postcard production. This is a Type 1 period printing, produced contemporaneously with the events depicted.

Condition

Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the postcard.