DURING WORLD WAR ONE KODAK PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN THE WAR EFFORT BOTH BY PRODUCING MATERIALS (CAMERAS, FILM, GUN SIGHTS ETC.) FOR THE ARMY AND BY TRAINING PHOTOGRAPHERS. AN INTERESTING WRINKLE WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE ARMY AIR CORPS. FOR THE FIRST TIME, AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE WAR.

IN 1918 KODAK SET UP AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL IN ROCHESTER. SOME SCENES, BASED ON OFFICIAL SCHOOL PHOTOS, OF THE STUDENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY ARE SHOWN IN " THE KODAK STORY " BY DOUGLAS COLLINS. OTHER VIEWS, OF THE STUDENTS IN FORMATION AND THEIR OFFICERS WERE PUBLISHED IN THE CONTEMPORARY BOOKLET " KODAK PARK IN WARTIME."

HOWEVER, IT WOULD SEEM UNLIKELY THAT THE GROUP OF STUDENTS, ALL OF WHOM WERE, AFTER ALL, HIGHLY TRAINED PHOTOGRAPHERS, WOULDN'T PROVIDE THEMSELVES WITH THEIR OWN PERSONAL MEMENTOES. IN 2002 A COLLECTION OF SUCH ITEMS WENT UP FOR SALE ON EBAY.

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUM OF LESLIE WILLIAMS OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, PROVIDES A HIGHLY PERSONAL VIEW OF THE SCHOOL AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE STUDENTS. SAVING THE COLLECTION OF 17 PAGES FROM " EBAY OBLIVION " WAS DIFFICULT. THE SELLER OFFERED EACH PAGE INDIVIDUALLY. NOT UNTIL ALL 17 AUCTIONS WERE COMPLETED WAS IT KNOWN THAT, INDEED, MOST ( 16/17 ) OF THE ALBUM WOULD REMAIN INTACT. SHOWN HERE ARE SAMPLES OF THE IMAGES FROM THE SALVAGED COLLECTION.