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The Albert and Willy Stupe World War I Photograph Album (acc. 1991.0037) shows German soldiers in both formal and informal settings; living quarters and airfields; airplanes and the bombs they dropped; and the towns in which the military installments were situated. A variety of aircraft and high profile personalities also appear in this album.
Willy Stupe (1889-1951) and his younger brother Albert (1891-1917) were born in Coburg, Germany, where they also began their military service. The brothers both served in the 95th Infantry Regiment (6th Thuringian) at some point during their military careers. Leutnant Albert Stupe was a decorated officer, having received two Iron Crosses and other combat medals. World War I German casualty lists for 1914-1919 show that Albert, who is said to have been a pilot, was killed in action on July 31, 1917. Willy spent some of his military service as a paymaster and is said to have served in a motorcycle unit. He immigrated to the United States in 1921, declaring (as Willy Stuppe) his intentions be become an American citizen. Willy lived out the rest of his days with his wife, Cora Caesar, working as a merchant in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area until his death in 1951.
NASM.1991.0037
Stupe, Willy
1895-1919
Kevin B. Skinner, Gift, 1991, 1991.0037, NASM
0.51 Cubic feet (1 flat box)
National Air and Space Museum Archives
The Albert and Willy Stupe World War I Photograph Album contains photographs of soldiers of the 95th and 135th Infantry Regiments. The photographs record soldier life in both formal and informal settings, showing their living quarters and airfields; the airplanes they flew and the bombs they dropped; as well as the towns in which the airfields were situated. Several pages are dedicated to Kampfgeschwader 3, the England-Geschwader. It was this bomber squadron, under the command of Captain Ernst Brandenburg, that was responsible for the bombing of London by airplanes, an achievement which earned both Captain Brandenburg and his successor, Captain Rudolf Kleine, the Pour le Mérite. A variety of aircraft also appear in this album, including: Gotha G.IV, Fokker E.II, LFG Roland, and LVG C.III. A number of images document the visits of high-profile German personalities to the units--Kaiser Wilhelm, General von Hindenberg, and Germany's most famous ace, Baron von Richthofen--while several photographs memorialize the funeral of flying ace Oswald Boelcke.
The Albert and Willy Stupe World War I Photograph Album is in its original order. A group of ten postcards in folder two (acc. 1991.0054) are in no particular order.
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Albert and Willy Stupe World War I Photograph Album, Acc. 1991.0037, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Aeronautics
Aeronautics -- Germany
Aeronautics, Military
LFG Roland Family
Fokker E.II (M 14)
Gotha G.IV
LVG C.III
World War, 1914-1918
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aircraft
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations
World War, 1914-1918 -- Germany
Soldiers -- World War, 1914-1918
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Albums
Photographs