Newly Discovered 1938 Negatives of Pea Island Coast Guard Crew Rewrite Station's History

When we learn history, we tend to like our narratives neat and unbroken. For decades, the story of the Pea Island U.S. Coast Guard Station on the Outer Banks was one of those perfect arcs: an all-Black crew, led exclusively by Black commanders for 67 continuous years, defying the Jim Crow South. But history is rarely that tidy. Nineteen photographic negatives recently found stored in metal tins at the State Archives of North Carolina are now rewriting that legendary timeline. The images, taken in 1938, clearly depict the station's crew performing drills and moving equipment under the direction of a white commander. Discovered in an unprocessed portion of a travel photography collection, the negatives offer a rare, candid glimpse into the daily operations of the historic station, adding a complex new chapter to one of the most celebrated institutions in American maritime history.[1][2]

The unearthing of the photographs began with a chance observation—the kind of archival serendipity that historians dream about. Joan Collins, a historical columnist and descendant of Pea Island surfmen, noticed a single 1938 image posted on social media by the State Archives. Sensing something out of place, she urged archivists to dig deeper into the collection. That inquiry led to the discovery of 19 negatives that had been sitting quietly in tins for decades. The State Archives promptly digitized the collection, revealing high-quality, high-contrast images of the crew wheeling out a lifesaving boat and standing in formation. The clarity and volume of the photographs provide an unprecedented visual record of the station just before the outbreak of World War II.[1][2]

To understand why a few old negatives matter so much, you have to look at the treacherous coast of North Carolina, where the Pea Island Life-Saving Station holds a legendary place in the annals of the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1880, Richard Etheridge, a formerly enslaved man and Union Army veteran, was appointed keeper of the station. When white surfmen refused to serve under his command, Etheridge recruited an all-Black crew, making Pea Island the first station of its kind in the nation. Under Etheridge's rigorous training, the crew earned a reputation for exceptional bravery, most notably during the harrowing 1896 rescue of the shipwrecked E.S. Newman—a feat for which the crew was posthumously awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal.[3][4]

For decades, the prevailing narrative maintained that Pea Island operated with an exclusively all-Black crew and Black commanders right up until its decommissioning in 1947. It was a story of unbroken triumph. However, the newly digitized 1938 photographs clearly show a white officer in charge, believed to be William Scarborough, directing the crew. This visual evidence confirms oral histories and early Coast Guard service records that suggested white commanders temporarily led the station in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The images provide undeniable proof that the station's leadership was not exclusively Black during its entire operational history, puncturing the myth of a seamless 67-year run.[1][5]

The break in continuous Black leadership appears to have followed the 1937 retirement of George Pruden, a Black commander who later alleged his departure was forced. Following Pruden's exit, white officers like Scarborough were placed in charge of the Black surfmen. This arrangement persisted until Maxie M. Berry Sr., a Black Coast Guardsman from a family with deep roots in the Life-Saving Service, eventually assumed command. The photographs capture this transitional period perfectly, documenting a time when the racial dynamics at the station were shifting in ways that were previously undocumented in the public historical record.[1][6]

Beyond the question of who was giving the orders, the discovery sheds light on the existence of 'checkerboard crews'—racially mixed Coast Guard units that operated on the Outer Banks during an era of strict, legally enforced segregation. While the U.S. armed forces were not officially desegregated until President Harry Truman's executive order in 1948, the harsh realities of maritime rescue often necessitated practical integration. The 1938 photographs of white commanders working alongside Black surfmen at Pea Island offer a visual testament to these integrated operations, highlighting the unique social environment of the Outer Banks where the demands of the sea sometimes superseded the racial barriers of the Jim Crow South.[1][7]

The State Archives of North Carolina has made the digitized images publicly available through an online album, effectively crowdsourcing the next phase of discovery. Historians and descendants of the Pea Island lifesavers hope the newly accessible photographs will help identify missing crew members and unravel the complex racial dynamics of the 1930s Coast Guard. By bringing these images out of the archives and into the public eye, researchers aim to piece together a more accurate and comprehensive history of the station, honoring the service of all the men who risked their lives to save others.[1][2]

As historians dig into the newly accessible archives, the story of Pea Island continues to evolve, proving that even well-documented history can still yield surprises. The photographs do not diminish the legacy of Richard Etheridge or the pioneering Black surfmen; rather, they provide a more nuanced, human picture of the station's role in the broader history of American integration. By documenting the daily heroism of the crew under shifting leadership, the 1938 negatives ensure that the full, unvarnished story of the Pea Island Coast Guard Station will finally be told—messy timelines and all.[1][7]