Panoramic Photograph of the 317th Engineer's Band at Camp Sherman, Ohio, May 15, 1918

Ohio, 1918. Silver gelatin photograph in glass-fronted frame, image measures 24 ¼ x 6 ⅞ inches. Matted and framed, not examined out of frame. The 317th Engineer's Band was a part of the 317th Engineer Regiment, an element of the 92nd Division, which was composed of over 15,000 African-American soldiers from across the country. The 92nd was one of two African-American regiments to fight in the war, the other being the 93rd, and was unique in that it was under the command of the United States. The 317th Engineer Regiment was organized in November 1917 at Camp Sherman, Ohio, several months before this photograph was taken, and saw action in Europe as part of the 92nd. Camp Sherman was the third largest training camp in the country at the time, with over 2,000 buildings capable of housing 40,000 men and 12,000 horses. As well as being the training site for units of the 92nd (also known as the Buffalo Division), it served as the training site entire 83rd, 84th, 95th and 96th divisions. It later became a trade school.

The 317th Engineer's Band performed locally around Chillicothe and at other military functions, eventually becoming known, according to a contemporary newspaper account, as one of the best bands in the army. They traveled to Indianapolis to perform in March of 1918. A New York Times article from 1918 mentions them briefly and describes them as 'famous,' but does not elaborate. They performed at the 'Colored Club' in Chillicothe, a social club for African-American servicemen in a converted hotel. We find no other record of this image.