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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Walter Herlofson World War I Navy Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 1984-03-01

Scope and Contents of Collection

The Walter Herlofson World War I Navy Collection contains photographs and postcards, seaplane blueprints, and religious books belonging to Herlofson, who served in the U.S. Navy at Pensacola during World War I. This small collection of personal items was enclosed in a wooden ditty box upon donation. Photographs are primarily commercial shots of Navy sailors and wartime France.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1909-1930s (bulk dates 1917-1918)
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1917 - 1918

Creator

Language of Materials

New Testament Bible is in Norwegian. All other materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.

Conditions Governing Use

The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.

Biographical Note

Walter Edwin Herlofson was born August 22, 1896 in Minnesota. He enlisted in the Navy on February 13, 1918, and judging by his portrait appears to have been based at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. After the war, he married Alice Orobelle Lee in Minnesota, where they had several children. The Herlofsons relocated to Puyallup, Washington around 1940, where Walter worked as a carpenter. He died in Puyallup on January 30, 1975.

Source:

Biography derived from collection materials and public records.

Extent

0.2 Cubic Feet (1 half width letter size document box)

Abstract

The collection contains photographs, blueprints, and religious materials relating to the naval service of Norwegian-American Walter Edwin Herlofson (1896-1975) during World War I. Herlofson, originally of Minnesota, later relocated with his family to Puyallup, Washington.

Physical Location

The following object is currently on display in the World War I Gallery of the Personal Courage Wing: Wooden ditty box, U.S. Navy, circa 1918.

Accruals Note

No further accruals are expected.

Existence and Location of Copies

Materials from this collection have been digitized and are available at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections.

Related Archival Materials

The following collections also relate to the U.S. Navy during World War I:

C. E. Roy Naval Aviation Photograph Album. Photograph album containing photographs and ephemera depicting U.S. Naval activities at Key West Naval Air Station, Florida during World War I.

Separated Materials

The following object has been separated from the archival component of this collection to be kept in Objects storage and is currently on display in the World War I Gallery of the Personal Courage Wing:

  • Wooden ditty box, U.S. Navy, circa 1918

Note on Names

Please note that the Herlofson family name appears in collection materials as both Herlofsen and Herlofson. Per the spelling on the collection's deed of gift, this finding aid will use the latter Herlofson.

Subject

Title
Guide to the Walter Herlofson World War I Navy Collection
Status
Completed Level 4
Author
A. Demeter
Date
2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English
Sponsor
Processing, cataloging and digitization of this collection was made possible by a Council on Libraries and Information Resources (CLIR) "Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives" grant.
Edition statement
1st Edition

Repository Details

Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository

Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874


The Museum of Flight | 9404 E. Marginal Way South | Seattle WA 98108-4097 | 206-764-5874
Contact us with a research request
curator@museumofflight.org