Incredible photographs taken by U.S. army prison guard give fascinating insight into Korean War



An incredible cache of photographs has emerged offering a uniquely personal insight into one soldier's experiences serving in the Korean War.



The stunning, colour photos were taken by Jerry Rosenstein, while he served for the U.S. army in the four-year war.



More than six decades later, Rosenstein’s granddaughter Michaela Mellen, determined to share the snaps and set about laboriously scanning the slides.

Talented: Jerry Rosenstein, pictured, a prison guard for the U.S. army, took hundreds of incredible photos of his time serving in the Korean War

Dedication: 27 years after her grandfather's death- and having never met him - Rosenstein's granddaughter Michaela Mellen scanned his slides to share the amazing photos

Humorous: The collection of photos offers a uniquely personal glimpse into the Korean War, fought more than six decades ago

With approximately 700-800 of her grandfather's slides, Ms Mellen got to work, scanning dozens of the intriguing images and then uploaded them to the photo-sharing website Imgur.

The beautiful photos provide a fascinating glimpse into soldiers’ daily lives while serving in Korea, as well as the unfamiliar country they found themselves in.



Some photos show soldiers lining up for inspection and others show men being treated for lice with a metal machine which resembles a hand-held hoover.



Rosenstein also captured moments of soldiers’ downtime – enjoying cigars, reading, relaxing and posing for the camera.



The amateur photographer also documented his temporary home – showing young children playing in the dust and locals going about their daily lives.

Impressive: The photos show Rosenstein's talent behind the lens; his granddaughter says he would spend any money he won gambling on more film to take photos

Inspection: This photo appears to show soldiers being treated for lice

Kicking back: Rosenstein sits back to enjoy his pampering session getting his nails tended to, hair looked after and boots polished

Larking around: Many of Rosenstein's photos capture jovial moments and the friendships of men serving together

Demonstrating a clear talent as a portrait photographer, there are numerous pictures where Rosenstein has encouraged people to pose for his lens.



Ms Mellon said about her grandfather: ‘According to my grandma, he was a prison guard. Probably used all of the money he won from poker to buy film - there are hundreds, probably close to a thousand, of these slides.



‘My grandfather passed away before I was born, but my grandma tells me some stories, mostly about how he would teach math to the GIs and would win money from poker by counting cards.

The three-year war, which took place between 1950 and 1953, killed at least 4 million people including civilians and troops from North and South Korea, China, the United States and its allies in the name of the United Nations.



More than 36,000 U.S. troops died, including more than 8,000 who were listed as missing in action on both sides of the Korean Peninsula.

Adorable: Rosenstein also focused on the local Koreans, including the children, going about their daily lives as the war raged on

Documenting: Michaela Mellen estimates that her father took close to 1,000 photographs while in Korea

Intriguing: Internet commentators have praised Rosenstein's photographs and looked out for loved-ones who served in Korea in the cache of photos; Rosenstein is seen here

Deadly: The war, which took place between 1950 and 1953, killed at least 4 million people

Downtime: Rosenstein captures a comrade relaxing in the sun

Fascinating: The collection provides an incredible glimpse into the Korean War



