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Mission Memory:
The Claude S. Buchanan Collection

Scope and Contents

This special digital collection consists of 47 objects related to the life of Winter Park resident Colonel Claude S. Buchanan, taking the formats of photographic prints, original blueprints, color postcards, military patches, military badges, military medals, personal diaries, and other forms of rare ephemera. 

 

The Claude S. Buchanan Photographic Collection, 1917-1949, consists of 15 photographic prints captured from Claude S. Buchanan's personal life and military career with the United States Army Air Force. Claude S. Buchanan's wife, Ruth Eldora Buchanan, née Parrent, and their daughter, Ruth Charlotte Buchanan Miller, appear in these photographic prints alongside Claude. Due to some of these photographs' dates remaining unknown or having been simply estimated, they are not arranged in chronological order.

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Objects:

  1. Major Claude S. Buchanan At Work

  2. Claude S. Buchanan and Ruth Eldora Buchanan

  3. Claude S. Buchanan, Ruth Eldora Buchanan, Charles Dale Miller Jr., & Ruth Charlotte Buchanan Miller

  4. Colonel Claude S. Buchanan

  5. ​Colonel Claude S. Buchanan and Ruth Buchanan

  6. Colonel Claude S. Buchanan at an Award Ceremony

  7. Colonel Claude S. Buchanan Receives the Bronze Star Award

  8. Portrait of Major Claude S. Buchanan

  9. Official Portrait of Major Claude S. Buchanan

  10. Portrait of Colonel Claude S. Buchanan in Uniform

  11. Ruth Charlotte Buchanan with Two Dogs

  12. Portrait of Ruth Charlotte Buchanan

  13. Ruth Charlotte Buchanan On A Tricycle

  14. Ruth Eldora Buchanan and Ruth Charlotte Buchanan

  15. Ruth Charlotte Buchanan

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The McCook Field Photographic Collection, 1919-1920, consists of a rare set of 12 photographic prints taken on McCook Field, a highly experimental airfield and testing site located in Dayton, Ohio. Some of these artifact images are housed in the expansive Ray Wagner Collection, which the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives has digitally archived in their online repository. Notably featured in this collection are unusual images of the elusive De Havilland DH-9 biplane, on which Colonel Claude S. Buchanan designed its signature gunsight. Due to the unknown nature or estimated dates of these photographs, they are not arranged in chronological order.

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Objects:

  1. Verville VCP-1 US Air Force National Star Roundel 

  2. Front-Facing View of a Verville VCP-1 Biplane 

  3. Possible DH-9 Biplane Turret 

  4. Cockpit of a DH-4 Liberty Biplane 

  5. Wartime Celebration at McCook Field 

  6. Back View of a DH-9 Biplane Bomber 

  7. Side View of a DH-9 Biplane 

  8. Front View of An Unidentified Biplane Bomber 

  9. Front View of Verville VCP-1 Biplane 

  10. Angled View of a Verville VCP-1 Biplane 

  11. Curtiss 18-B “Hornet” Prototype Biplane

  12. Crashed Curtiss 18-B “Hornet” Prototype Biplane​

The Orlando Postcard Collection, 1935-1942, consists of 17 postcards belonging to Claude S. Buchanan and his daughter, Ruth Charlotte Buchanan Miller. The postcards, all published and printed by the Curt Teich Company, were distributed by the Orange News Company in Orlando, Florida, by tourists and locals alike. Many of these postcards have been digitally archived by UCF's prestigious RICHES initiative as part of their expansive Postcard Collection. 

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Objects:

  1. Postcard Depicting Downtown Orlando, Fla., from Lake Eola Park

  2. Postcard Depicting The Cypress Methuselah

  3. Boating Center on Lake Ivanhoe, Orlando, Fla., "The City Beautiful" 

  4. Postcard Written By Ruth Charlotte Buchanan 

  5. Bird's-Eye View of Tropical Lake Eola Park and Band Shell, Orlando, Fla. "The City Beautiful" 

  6. Postcard Depicting The Illuminated Fountain on Lake Ivanhoe, Orlando, Fla., "The City Beautiful" 

  7. Postcard Depicting Post Chapel, Orlando Air Base, Orlando, Fla. 

  8. Postcard Depicting the Skyline Across Lake Eola in Orlando, Fla. 

  9. Orchids, Mead Botanical Garden, Orlando-Winter Park, Fla. 

  10. Episcopal St. Luke's Cathedral, Orlando, Fla. "The City Beautiful" 

  11. Palms and Flowers in Beautiful Eola Park, Orlando, Fla. "The City Beautiful" 

  12. McCoy Air Force Base/Orlando Air Base, Orlando, Fla. 

  13. Orange Avenue, Orlando, Fla. "The City Beautiful" 

  14. Postcard Depicting Oranges, Orlando, Florida 

  15. Albertson Public Library, Orlando, Fla. "The City Beautiful" 

  16. Entrance to Orlando Air Base, Orlando, Fla.

  17. Lancaster Park Residence Section, Orlando, Fla., "The City Beautiful"

The Patch, Badge, and Medal Collection, 1941-1941, consists of three patches belonging to Claude S. Buchanan. These objects were likely items Claude had received during his service as awards, mementos, and crucial parts of his daily uniform. A considerable number of these objects appear to be attached to Claude's service at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, thus dated to the year 1941 after he became a Major with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).

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Objects:

  1. Leather Name Badge of Colonel C.S. Buchanan

  2. United States Army Air Forces Patch

  3. Leather Wright Field Patch

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The Mission Memory Document Collection, 1944-1954, consists of certificates, identification materials, newspaper articles, and other paper-based articles belonging to Claude S. Buchanan and family and relating to the viewer evidence of their personal and career affiliations. Claude amassed this collection during his service and beyond, each object speaking to a location where he was stationed. Some objects in this collection go as far to offer a glimpse into his exclusive fraternity ties while stationed in Pendleton, Oregon, and Detroit, Michigan, providing evidence of paid dues at particular lodge locations.

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Objects:

  1. Air Force Association Certification Card

  2. Pendleton Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Certification Card and Authenticity Letter

  3. Certification Card For Palestine Masonic Lodge

  4. Officer's Dependent Pass for Mrs. Ruth P. Buchanan, Wife of Claude Buchanan

  5. Certificate of Service Provided by Lt. Col. Claude Buchanan

  6. "Hamilton Scramble" Newspaper Issue Commemorating Claude S. Buchanan's Retirement

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DATES

created: 1919-1951

CREATOR

Miller Boye, Sarah (Person)

CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS

The entire collection is open for research.

CONDITIONS GOVERNING USAGE

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

BIOGRAPHICAL OR HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Mission Memory is an archival preservation project centered on the Claude Sharp Buchanan Collection, which includes diaries, letters, photographs, and scrapbooks from the early 20th century. The project combines digitization, rehousing, and metadata creation to safeguard fragile materials while making them accessible for research, public history projects, and future generations.

FULL EXTENT

64 digitized files, 229 MB.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

English

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Additional Description

ABSTRACT

Collector, historian, and author, Sarah Miller Boye, inherited this collection of diaries, letters, photographs, and scrapbooks belonging to her late great-grandfather, Claude Sharp Buchanan, focusing on his family life. military service, and personal passions. Although this collection is considered comprehensive both nationally and internationally, it also more specifically consists of materials that pertain to Central Florida history during America's post-World War II Reconstruction era.

METHOD OF ACQUISITION

Materials were digitally donated in August/September of 2025 and permission was granted by the copyright holder to digitize, process, and display these objects as part of the Fall 2025 Public History Internship program.

PROCESSING INFORMATION

Processed by Elio Singer, Dianelys Nunez, and Aiyana Gross; finding aid created by Elio Singer. Digital exhibit created and materials added by Elio Singer in Fall 2025.

SUBJECTS

Screenshot 2025-09-05 at 10_edited_edited.jpg
TITLE

Mission Memory: The Claude S. Buchanan Collection

AUTHOR

Sarah Miller Boye & Elio Singer

DATE

09/07/2025

DESCRIPTION RULES

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

LANGUAGE OF DESCRIPTION

English

SCRIPT OF DESCRIPTION

Latin

LANGUAGE OF DESCRIPTION NOTE

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Repository
Details

From the private collection of
Sarah Miller Boye.


Email: sarah.boye@ucf.edu
Personal website: https://www.sarahmboye.com


Digital curator and designer,
Elio M. Singer


Email: el299095@ucf.edu


 
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© 2025 by Elio M. Singer

PHC Team Lead and Volunteer Undergraduate Researcher

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