Library and Archives Canada WW2 Photo Collection

[LostGrace]

Some of the most iconic imagery of the Canadian military effort in Normandy was incorporated into the Army Numerical series; by the end of hostilities, this had grown to include more than 60,000 photographs. The print albums that were originally produced during the Second World War to handle reproduction requests can help in navigating this overwhelming amount of material. Researchers at our Ottawa location refer to these volumes as the “Red Albums,” because of their red covers. These albums allow visitors to flip through a day-by-day visual record of Canadian army activities from the Second World War. LAC has recently digitized print albums 74, 75, 76 and 77, which show events in France from June 6 until mid-August 1944.

Link to the above albums 74,75,76, 77

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Collectio ... er=5054141

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Collectio ... er=5093266

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Collectio ... er=5093276

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Collectio ... er=5101502

[klambie]

These are pretty useful. I've always thought there was some value in using the original contact numbers to search from a photo with a good caption (say identifying RRRs) for the ones earlier/later in the sequence that might be related. Never pushed far at LAC, but was led to believe you just had to request them blindly and see what you got. This lets you see them in order.

Get hits via LAC search on many of those numbers, but some aren't found. Wonder if that means they don't exist or if they require fancier search methods.

[Temujin]

These are pretty useful. I've always thought there was some value in using the original contact numbers to search from a photo with a good caption (say identifying RRRs) for the ones earlier/later in the sequence that might be related. Never pushed far at LAC, but was led to believe you just had to request them blindly and see what you got. This lets you see them in order.

Get hits via LAC search on many of those numbers, but some aren't found. Wonder if that means they don't exist or if they require fancier search methods.

They are great Kevin, I’ve found that although they “help” sort out the photo’s, their is still photo’s from one date or event, located on “other pages”.....but I’ve found that you generally can tell....and I haven’t checked the “photo numbers” on the side if their in sequence on the pages yet, to see if they confirm “which are with which”

I am seeing a lot of great photo’s though, and ones that you’ve seen before (having been released to the press or used in others research.

The last information I had was they have only digitized these 4 Albums so far, but the info was quite old, and hopefully we will get to see and use all 100 plus albums

Cheers