The Paul C. Winner collection is divided into two series: Papers and Still Images.
Papers (1911-1983) consist primarily of letters written by Paul Winner to his parents; his sister, Mae Tindolph (Winner); and his brother, Harry Winner. Winner numbered all of the letters he wrote consecutively, regardless to whom they were addressed. He stated, in letters to all three family members, that he would number the letters in this fashion to allow his family to pass them between one another and to avoid writing the same thing twice. In his letters to Harry, Winner consistently tells his brother not to join up with the Army until he has his medical degree. When comparing these letters to his diary, it becomes clear that Winner did not want his brother to go through the same hardships he was experiencing while in France. The letters also have a few humorous stories about soldiers attempting to communicate with French locals. One letter (November 29, 1917) describes a fellow airman attempting to buy honey from a local French vendor, in which the airman flapped his arms and repeated “buzz-bee-buzz.” The diary entries, written on loose sheets of paper, provide the best descriptions of Winner's life during his first few months overseas. He expresses bitterness in the first three months over subjects such as having to work in the cold, muddy conditions at Issoudun, France; constantly dealing with food shortages; having to perform guard duty; and the Army's failure to train him as a pilot. This is in contrast to the letters, in which he tells his family that he is happy, warm, and well fed. He also mentions witnessing fellow pilots dying, remarking in one entry (December 20, 1917) that he was glad it wasn't him “so he wouldn't have to be buried in a place such as this.” He also describes working with German POWs interned at the airbase. In one entry, dated January 30, 1918, he says that the German POWs were kicked off of KP duty for trying to blow up a stove with dynamite. These entries connect to photographs in the collection of a funeral for airmen killed while flying, and several images of German prisoners. The diary takes a positive tone after the base at Issoudun is completed in late December and Winner was transferred to Tours to being flight training. His entries end in March, 1918 after he receives an actual diary from his sister, which is not part of the collection. The journal only includes brief notes taken from training procedures, but does compliment the diary by providing an insight into his field training. The flight log provides some insight into his training as a pilot, covering the gap left by the ending of his diary entries. However, it only records completion of solo flights, flight hours, and flight maneuvers he executed and does not elaborate in great detail. Ephemeral items include military identification cards and local business cards. Also included are French tourism maps and a French automobile tour pamphlet, a copied letter from King George V thanking American airmen for their service, and a talisman that Winner apparently carried during flights.
Still Images (1917-1919) consist of photographs and postcards taken and collected by Winner while training in the United States and serving in Europe. The majority of the images document his time in Europe. However, there are a few interesting images of Winner from basic training showing him posing with fellow trainees at Fort Myer, Virginia and posing in two images taken at Mount Vernon, when he and a fellow soldier snuck onto the grounds. Winner also documents his journey across the Atlantic, as well as preparing to disembark from New York City. One interesting image, taken from the Statue of Liberty, shows the encampments of soldiers waiting to leave for Europe at Fort Wood (modern day Liberty Island). The photograph collection also documents the construction of the airbase at Issoudun, which was the largest airbase in the world upon its completion. There are images of the German prisoner camp, the mess hall where Winner primarily worked, and the interior of the barracks. Winner also documents other airbases, such at the training facility at Tours, but not in such detail as Issoudun. There are images of various aircraft, such as Spads, Nieuports, Farmans, and Parasols; both on the ground, and also flying in the air. Most of these images are identified and describe the scenes in detail. One interesting image shows Spads being brought in on trains and ready to be unloaded at the Issoudun base. There are a few photographs of destruction and casualties along the front line; however their numbers are small due in part to Winner serving as a pilot and not stationed on the front line. The majority of still images record his travels across Europe after the war. There are interesting photographs of Winner posing by himself and with other soldiers as famous sites in France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. Particularly interesting are the images from Rome, which he mentions on the back of one photograph as being a city he could live in for awhile. The postcards are souvenirs he collected while traveling across Europe and cover a wide range of cities.
