Art

Panorama of the Army of the Cumberland

The National Museum of American History is not an art museum. But works of art fill its collections and testify to the vital place of art in everyday American life. The ceramics collections hold hundreds of examples of American and European art glass and pottery. Fashion sketches, illustrations, and prints are part of the costume collections. Donations from ethnic and cultural communities include many homemade religious ornaments, paintings, and figures. The Harry T Peters "America on Stone" collection alone comprises some 1,700 color prints of scenes from the 1800s. The National Quilt Collection is art on fabric. And the tools of artists and artisans are part of the Museum's collections, too, in the form of printing plates, woodblock tools, photographic equipment, and potters' stamps, kilns, and wheels.

Date: 1940s

Alex McCarrell Patch

Oil on illustration board. Portrait of three star General Alex H. Patch. Patch wear a khaki uniform (without color insignia or stars on his shoulder loops) and a white scarf. He also wears a M1 helmet with three silver stars.
Description
Oil on illustration board. Portrait of three star General Alex H. Patch. Patch wear a khaki uniform (without color insignia or stars on his shoulder loops) and a white scarf. He also wears a M1 helmet with three silver stars. Patch is in front of a green background.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.46998
catalog number
46998
accession number
46998

Alexander Day Surles

European-African Middle Eastern Campaign, Order of Abdon Calderón, Gold Medal for Distinguished Service Medal (El Salvador), WWI Victory, and a Unknown Ribbon (solid light blue possibly Order of the Elephant).
Description
European-African Middle Eastern Campaign, Order of Abdon Calderón, Gold Medal for Distinguished Service Medal (El Salvador), WWI Victory, and a Unknown Ribbon (solid light blue possibly Order of the Elephant). Surles wears a khaki service coat with officer pins on his label and possibly a green and gold cord below his right breast pocket. He has grey hair and blue eyes. Surles signature is at the bottom right corner of the portrait.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.47005
catalog number
47005
accession number
166217

shaker

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1936-40
ID Number
CE.77.547Aab
catalog number
77.547Aab
accession number
1978.0033

Holiday

Beatrice Wood (1883-1998) was an acclaimed artist, bestknown for her work with ceramics and her role in founding the Dada Movement.
Description (Brief)
Beatrice Wood (1883-1998) was an acclaimed artist, best
known for her work with ceramics and her role in founding the Dada Movement. While working in the Los Angeles art scene during the 1930s, she was introduced to master printer Lynton Kistler, who persuaded her to take up printmaking and gifted her a set of lithographic plates. Her prints were simple and satirical, sometimes incorporating a subtle dark humor. Her lithograph “Holiday,” was printed in 1932.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
about 1940
September 1920
date made
1932
printer
Kistler, Lynton R.
ID Number
1978.0650.0979
accession number
1978.0650
catalog number
1978.0650.0979

John H. Hilldring

A three-quarters portrait of John H. Hilldring depicted as Major General, G-5, Director of Civil Affairs Division, War Department General Staff. An oil painting on an illustration board. A white man, Major General Hilldring has gray hair and blue eyes.
Description
A three-quarters portrait of John H. Hilldring depicted as Major General, G-5, Director of Civil Affairs Division, War Department General Staff. An oil painting on an illustration board. A white man, Major General Hilldring has gray hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a olive drab service coat with a collared shirt and a tie underneath as well as an olive drab garrison hat or a visor hat with an eagle in the center. U.S. officer collar insignias is seen on the left lapel. Five military ribbons are pinned to his left chest (identification is provided below). Two stars can be seen on the left shoulder strap indicating his rank as Major General. The bottom portion of the portrait is not sketched or painted in great detail. Major General Hilldring's signature is seen on the bottom right of the portrait.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
maker
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.46991
catalog number
46991
accession number
166217

"Enlist in a Proud Profession ... U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps" Poster

Physical DescriptionFour-color print on paper.Specific HistoryThe Division of Military History and Diplomacy has been collecting recruiting posters for more than fifty years.
Description
Physical Description
Four-color print on paper.
Specific History
The Division of Military History and Diplomacy has been collecting recruiting posters for more than fifty years. Recruiting as an activity of the military is important to the understanding of who serves in uniform during both war and peace and the visual materials used to market military service. The collection contains examples of early Civil War broadsides; World War I posters, including the original artwork for Uncle Sam as drawn by Montgomery Flagg; and World War II posters, which show the recruiting of men and women for all services and auxiliary organizations. The collection contains primarily Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II recruiting posters for the army, navy and some marines. More modern-day recruiting materials are also contained in the collection, and cover a broad range of army recruiting slogans.
General History
Posters during World War II were designed to instill in people a positive outlook, a sense of patriotism and confidence. They linked the war in trenches with the war at home. From a practical point, they were used to encourage all Americans to help with the war effort. The posters called on every man, woman, and child to endure the personal sacrifice and domestic adjustments to further the national agenda. They encouraged rationing, conservation, and sacrifice. In addition, the posters were used for recruitment, productivity, and motivation as well as for financing the war effort. The stark, colorful graphic designs elicited strong emotions. The posters played to the fears, frustrations, and faith in freedoms that lingered in people's minds during the war.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1942
associated dates
1942
distributor
United States. Office of War Information
printer
US Government Printing Office
issuing authority
U.S. Public Health Service
ID Number
1977.0020.041
catalog number
1977.0020.041
accession number
1977.0020

Courtney Hicks Hodges

A three-quarters portrait of Courtney H. Hodges depicted as General, commanding 1st Army. An oil painting on an illustration board. A white man, General Hodges has gray hair, brown eyes and a gray moustache stubble.
Description
A three-quarters portrait of Courtney H. Hodges depicted as General, commanding 1st Army. An oil painting on an illustration board. A white man, General Hodges has gray hair, brown eyes and a gray moustache stubble. He is wearing a olive drab service coat with a collared shirt and a tie underneath. U.S. officer insignias are found on the lapels of the coat. Four stars indicating his rank of General are seen on the shoulder straps along with a green band under one of the stars to serve as an identifier for leaders. He has a shoulder patch of the First Army and nineteen military ribbons on his left chest which are identified below. The General's signature can be seen on the lower left portion of the portrait. The bottom portion of the coat and the portrait are not sketched or painted in detail.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
maker
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.46992
catalog number
46992
accession number
166217

Joseph Warren Stilwell

Oil on illustration board. Portrait of four star General Joseph Warren Stilwell. Stilwell wears a khaki service jacket with officer pins on his lapels. He has a military flattop haircut and is clean shaven. Stilwell also wears glasses.
Description
Oil on illustration board. Portrait of four star General Joseph Warren Stilwell. Stilwell wears a khaki service jacket with officer pins on his lapels. He has a military flattop haircut and is clean shaven. Stilwell also wears glasses. He is in front of a light blue background.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.47004
catalog number
47004
accession number
166217

Spring

Mounted gelatin silver print of Edward Weston's Spring, 1943. The photograph was printed by Edward's son Cole Weston from his father's original negative.Edward Weston was influential in the modern photography movement beginning in the 1930s.
Description (Brief)
Mounted gelatin silver print of Edward Weston's Spring, 1943. The photograph was printed by Edward's son Cole Weston from his father's original negative.
Edward Weston was influential in the modern photography movement beginning in the 1930s. He is well known for photographing the natural surroundings of his home on the California coast. Weston created striking works of art, some abstract, some more traditional images. A leader in American photography of the 20th century, Weston's prints were first exhibited at the Smithsonian in 1947. Afterwards, he remained interested in the national photography collection. At times, Weston recommended photographers to curators for collecting opportunities, and eventually donated a selection of his work and several cameras to the Photographic History Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943
maker - negative
Weston, Edward
maker - print
Weston, Cole
ID Number
PG.69.137.10
catalog number
69.137.10
accession number
288850

Topaz Mountain

"Topaz Mountain"Currently not on view
Description
"Topaz Mountain"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943
maker
Ujihara, Akio
ID Number
1986.3047.05
catalog number
1986.3047.05
nonaccession number
1986.3047

George C. Marshall

Oil on illustration board. Portrait of five star General George C. Marshall.
Description
Oil on illustration board. Portrait of five star General George C. Marshall. Army Service Ribbons for Decorations and Medals include: Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Unknown Ribbon (purple, possibly the purple heart), WWI Victory, Philippine Congressional, American Defense Service, Légion d'honneur, Unknown Ribbon (alternating bands of red and black), Unknown Ribbon (mostly white with a large band of red at the end and a small band of blue in the middle), Commendation Ribbon, Army Wound Ribbon, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Unknown Ribbon (equally sized bands of white, blue, and red), Unknown Ribbon (solid black with a small red band in center), Unknown Ribbon (orange with two bands of gold stripes, Unknown Ribbon (solid white), Unknown Ribbon (solid green with red band in center). Marshall wears a five star General's pin and possibly a War Department General Staff Identification pin on his shoulder loops. He also wears two officer pins and two Gerneral Staff Corps pins on his lapel. Marshall wears a black tie.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Marshall, George C.
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.46977
catalog number
46977
accession number
166217

shaker

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1936-40
ID Number
CE.77.547Bab
accession number
1978.0033
catalog number
77.547Bab

Manzanar no Yuki, 1942

"Manzanar No Yuki" translates to "Manzanar Snow"Currently not on view
Description
"Manzanar No Yuki" translates to "Manzanar Snow"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943-12-24
maker
Ujihara, Akio
ID Number
1986.3047.06
catalog number
1986.3047.06
nonaccession number
1986.3047

Fiesta

Homer Laughlin China Company, who manufactured the infamous “Fiesta ware” line, began as a partnership between the two Laughlin brothers, Homer and Shakespeare, in 1873.
Description
Homer Laughlin China Company, who manufactured the infamous “Fiesta ware” line, began as a partnership between the two Laughlin brothers, Homer and Shakespeare, in 1873. The company sold primarily Rockingham and yellow ware then later expanded their market to make semi-vitreous dinner, hotel, and toilet wares as well as white granite products. After the Great Depression the market for inexpensive dinner wares increased, and the “Fiesta ware” line was available for purchase in 1936. Designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, an English potter from Staffordshire, “Fiesta ware” became highly popular for their bright colors, streamlined design, and mix-and-match capabilities for the everyday household.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca. 1936-43
user
Boughton, George Henry
maker
Homer Laughlin China Co.
ID Number
1999.0136.13
accession number
1999.0136
catalog number
1999.0136.13

Ben Kuroki

Oil on illustration board in a card board frame. Portrait of Sergeant Ben Kuroki.
Description
Oil on illustration board in a card board frame. Portrait of Sergeant Ben Kuroki. Army Service Ribbons for Decorations and Medals include: American Campaign, European-African Middle Eastern Campaign with four gold oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal, unknown medal (alternating bands of yellow and light blue), Air Medal with four gold oak leaf clusters, and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign with two gold leaf clusters. Army Aviation Bage includes the Aerial Gunner Badge. Kuroki wears a Air Force Presidential Unit Citation above his right breast pocket. He wears two 8th AF insignia and two Technical Sergeant 2d Grade patches on both sleeves. Kuroki wears a gold ring on his right hand and is sitting in a chair.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.47012
catalog number
47012
accession number
166217

Deep Snow Topaz 1943

"Topaz 3-15-44"Currently not on view
Description
"Topaz 3-15-44"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-03-15
maker
Ujihara, Akio
ID Number
1986.3047.09
catalog number
1986.3047.09
nonaccession number
1986.3047

Nicholas Oresko

Oil on thick illustration board. Portrait of Sergeant Nicolas Oresko. Oresko wears a Khaki uniform with a overseas cap and artillery belt. The uniform has been gone over lightly in blue.
Description
Oil on thick illustration board. Portrait of Sergeant Nicolas Oresko. Oresko wears a Khaki uniform with a overseas cap and artillery belt. The uniform has been gone over lightly in blue. He also wears the 94th Division patch insignia and the Army service chevrons of a Techical Sergeant 2nd grade on his left arm sleeve. Oresko is sitting, and rest his arms on both legs, while holding a M1 heltmet (with the inside exposed). His signature (in pencil) is in the bottom right corner.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.47014
catalog number
47014
accession number
166217

Manzanar War Relocation Ctr., 1942

"Manzanar War Relocation Ctr., 1942"Currently not on view
Description
"Manzanar War Relocation Ctr., 1942"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943-12-12
maker
Ujihara, Akio
ID Number
1986.3047.07
catalog number
1986.3047.07
nonaccession number
1986.3047

Exposition of Dynamic Symmetry

Mounted gelatin silver print of Edward Weston's Exposition of Dynamic Symmetry, 1943. The photograph was printed by Edward's son Cole Weston from his father's original negative.Edward Weston was influential in the modern photography movement beginning in the 1930s.
Description (Brief)
Mounted gelatin silver print of Edward Weston's Exposition of Dynamic Symmetry, 1943. The photograph was printed by Edward's son Cole Weston from his father's original negative.
Edward Weston was influential in the modern photography movement beginning in the 1930s. He is well known for photographing the natural surroundings of his home on the California coast. Weston created striking works of art, some abstract, some more traditional images. A leader in American photography of the 20th century, Weston's prints were first exhibited at the Smithsonian in 1947. Afterwards, he remained interested in the national photography collection. At times, Weston recommended photographers to curators for collecting opportunities, and eventually donated a selection of his work and several cameras to the Photographic History Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943
maker - negative
Weston, Edward
maker - print
Weston, Cole
ID Number
PG.69.137.12
catalog number
69.137.12
accession number
288850

Frida Kahlo de Rivera

A 3-color Carbro photograph: "Frida Kahlo de Rivera," by Nickolas Muray, 1946. Color carbro portrait of artist Frida Kahlo de Rivera ca. 1946. Kahlo wears a pink scarf around her head and neck.Recto: Signed and dated by artist (pencil). Verso: Muray label.
Description (Brief)
A 3-color Carbro photograph: "Frida Kahlo de Rivera," by Nickolas Muray, 1946. Color carbro portrait of artist Frida Kahlo de Rivera ca. 1946. Kahlo wears a pink scarf around her head and neck.
Recto: Signed and dated by artist (pencil). Verso: Muray label. "Frida Kahlo de Rivera" (red marker). "Painter - wife of Diego Rivera - Friend" (red marker). "1946" (pencil).
Description
Nickolas Muray was born in Szeged, Hungary on February 15, 1892. Twelve years after his birth, Muray left his native town and enrolled in a graphic arts school in Budapest. Enrolling in art school was the first step on a road that would eventually lead him to study a photographic printing process called three-color carbro. In the course of his accomplished career, Muray would become an expert in this process and play a key role in bringing color photography to America.
While attending art school in Budapest, Muray studied lithography and photoengraving, earning an International Engraver's Certificate. Muray was also introduced to photography during this time period. His combined interest in photography and printmaking led him to Berlin, Germany to participate in a three-year color-photoengraving course. In Berlin, Muray learned how to make color filters, a first step in the craft that would one day become his trademark. Immediately after the completion of the course, Muray found a good job with a publishing company in Ullstein, Germany. However, the threat of war in Europe forced Muray to flee for America in 1913. Soon after his arrival in New York, Muray was working as a photoengraver for Condé Nast. His specialty was color separations and half-tone negatives.
By 1920, Muray had established a home for himself in the up-and-coming artists' haven of Greenwich Village. He opened a portrait studio out of his apartment and continued to work part time at his engraving job. Harper's Bazaar magazine gave Muray his first big assignment in 1921. The project was to photograph Broadway star Florence Reed. The magazine was so impressed with his photographs that they began to publish his work monthly. This allowed him to give up his part time job and work solely as a photographer. It did not take long for Muray to become one of the most renowned portrait photographers in Manhattan. Muray spent much of the early 1920s photographing the most famous and important personalities in New York at the time.
In his spare time Muray enjoyed fencing. In 1927, he won the National Sabre Championship and in 1928 and 1932, he was on the United States Olympic Team. During World War II, Muray was a flight lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1946
depicted (sitter)
Kahlo, Frida
maker
Muray, Nickolas
ID Number
PG.69.247.24
accession number
287542
catalog number
69.247.24

Guard's Tower

"Guard's Tower"Currently not on view
Description
"Guard's Tower"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-04-07
maker
Ujihara, Akio
ID Number
1986.3047.12
catalog number
1986.3047.12
nonaccession number
1986.3047

Freeman V. Horner

A three-quarters portrait of Freeman V. Horner depicted as Sergeant, Company K, 119th Infantry, 30th Division. An oil painting on an illustration board.
Description
A three-quarters portrait of Freeman V. Horner depicted as Sergeant, Company K, 119th Infantry, 30th Division. An oil painting on an illustration board. A white man, Sergeant Horner has brown eyes, is wearing a M1 olive drab helmet with a chin strap, and a brown/green fatigue uniform with a brown shirt underneath. On his right shoulder patch are three upward chevrons and two rockers indicating his position as a Technical Sergeant (Second Grade). The rest of the uniform is devoid of insignia or markings. A light shadow of the Sergeant can be seen behind the Sergeant. The Sergeant's signature is seen on the upper left portion of the painting.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
maker
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.47010
catalog number
47010
accession number
166217

George S. Patton, Jr.

Oil on illustration board. Portrait of four star General George Smith Patton, Jr. Patton possibly wears a aviation jacket with fur on the collar and a M1 Helmet with four silver stars (indicating his rank of General) with chinstrap.
Description
Oil on illustration board. Portrait of four star General George Smith Patton, Jr. Patton possibly wears a aviation jacket with fur on the collar and a M1 Helmet with four silver stars (indicating his rank of General) with chinstrap. He has a "go-getter" expression and painted in front of a blue/green background.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1941 - 1945
depicted (sitter)
Patton, George S.
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.46999
catalog number
46999
accession number
166217

Brehon B. Somervell

Oil on illustration board. Portrait of four star General Brehon B. Somervell.
Description
Oil on illustration board. Portrait of four star General Brehon B. Somervell. Army Service Ribbons for Decorations and Medals include: Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Spanish War Service, WWI Victory (with two gold stars), Army of Occupation of Germany, American Defense Service, Europeon-African Middle Eastern Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, and Unknown Ribboon (begining and ending in red, blue band in middle with two white bands on either side. resembles Bronze Star but bands of white are too large). Somervell wears a service coat with gold officer pins on his lapels and Army Service Forces patch insignia on the shouder of his left arm sleeve. He has slicked back grey/white hair and a thin moustache. Somervell sits with his hands folded. He is in front of a brown backgroup. His signature in pencil is in the bottom right corner.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945
associated date
1941 - 1945
associated person
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Chase, Joseph Cummings
artist
Chase, Joseph Cummings
ID Number
AF.47002
catalog number
47002
accession number
166217

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