18. St. Mihiel (winter) particularly fine example oblique aerial photograph, 1918/19

Plate 18. St. Mihiel (winter), from an album of World War I aerial photography assembled by Edward Steichen, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Plate 18, from an untitled album of World War I photographs, 1918/19

Gelatin silver print
Gift of William Kistler, 1977.694

Steichen points this out as a “particularly fine example [of an] oblique aerial photograph.” Oblique photographs taken at low altitude did not require the trained eye of an interpreter to present recognizable landmarks and thus were important tools for commanding officers.

Inscribed recto, on album page, lower left, in black/brwon ink: “St. Mihiel (winter) / particularly fine example oblique aerial photograph”; printed recto, on album page, lower right, in black ink: “Photographic Section. / Air Service. American Expeditionary Forces.”; inscribed recto, on album page, lower right, in blue ink “18”; unmarked verso