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: 1900s

A Road at the Front

A charcoal, pencil, and watercolor color sketch on paper of a camouflaged road at the front lines. An American soldier is walking down a road that is bordered on each side by a barbed wire fence covered with branches and wood that continues into the background.
Description
A charcoal, pencil, and watercolor color sketch on paper of a camouflaged road at the front lines. An American soldier is walking down a road that is bordered on each side by a barbed wire fence covered with branches and wood that continues into the background. The catalog card records the original label for this drawing: "This is the road from Baccarat to Pexonne via Vaqueville. It shows a screening of camouflage made from reeds and pine bows now turned brown with age. On the distant hills (a little to the left of the center of this picture) is located a German O.P. [Observation Post]. The road is quite frequently under shell-fire."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-04
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25908
catalog number
25908
accession number
64592

Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth, 19th Century

Only one side of this little sperm whale tooth is carved, and the freehand carving is compressed into only a small area of the available polished surface. The other side is blank.
Description
Only one side of this little sperm whale tooth is carved, and the freehand carving is compressed into only a small area of the available polished surface. The other side is blank. On the left is a classic whaleboat with the standard six crew: four rowers, a boatsteerer at the stern and a harpooner at the bow. All of them are wearing hats. The harpooner holds up a harpoon and is ready to throw the dart into the whale. The scrimshaw artist has cleverly incorporated a crack in the tooth's surface into a line from the boat to the first harpoon, which is sticking out of a whale's back, for what is called a "Nantucket Sleigh Ride". This was slang for when a whale towed a whaleboat until it tired and rose to the water surface.
After the tow or sleigh ride, the whaleboat would row up to the exhausted whale and kill it. It was normal to use two harpoons to fasten to a whale, in case one was lost or twisted out by the whale's movements. The boat, crew and whale are in light black or brown pigment. By contrast, the water surface is pale blue, which is a rare pigment in the art of scrimshaw.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
1978.0052.35
accession number
1978.0052
catalog number
1978.52.35

After the Battle of Charteves

Charcoal and ink wash sketch on white paper. The work depicts a damaged village in the aftermath of the Battle of Charteves. A shell-torn church and a number of smaller shell-torn buildings make up the village.
Description
Charcoal and ink wash sketch on white paper. The work depicts a damaged village in the aftermath of the Battle of Charteves. A shell-torn church and a number of smaller shell-torn buildings make up the village. A man, possibly a soldier, is in the street in the right foreground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-07
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25800
catalog number
25800
accession number
64592

Roll Call After the Fight

Mixed media on paper. A group of soldiers gather in the woods for a roll call."J André Smith June 1918 / 3rd Btn. 5th Rep. Marines in camp on the road to Belleau Woods"Currently not on view
Description
Mixed media on paper. A group of soldiers gather in the woods for a roll call."J André Smith June 1918 / 3rd Btn. 5th Rep. Marines in camp on the road to Belleau Woods"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26036
catalog number
26036
accession number
64592

American Motor Trucks at Langres

A charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. A large building, La Porte de Moulins, rises above several other buildings and a clearing where army vehicles are grouped. American soldiers are roughly sketched and appear to be working on one of the trucks.Currently not on view
Description
A charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. A large building, La Porte de Moulins, rises above several other buildings and a clearing where army vehicles are grouped. American soldiers are roughly sketched and appear to be working on one of the trucks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25902
catalog number
25902
accession number
64592

Scrimshaw Walrus Tusk, 19th Century

Scrimshaw whales’ teeth and walrus tusks commonly have simple vertical or horizontal compositions carved on their outer surfaces, sometimes stacked with simple framing between adjacent elements.
Description
Scrimshaw whales’ teeth and walrus tusks commonly have simple vertical or horizontal compositions carved on their outer surfaces, sometimes stacked with simple framing between adjacent elements. This unusual walrus tusk has a rare freehand spiral composition, beginning at the bottom of the tusk and winding up to the top.
At the bottom is a large windowed building with a crumbling tower at either end. To the left is a high wall that goes around the tooth to the other side of the building, ending in a large, tall open gate. Behind is a steep hill with more steep hills in the background and a couple astride horses mount the hill. At the back is a woman riding sidesaddle, brandishing a riding crop. In front of her is a man on horseback, driving two pack horses in front of him. In front of them is another pair of men astride horses; the rear one has a pick over his shoulder and the man in front has a pack on his back and a shovel over his shoulder. The group is led by another rider looking up the hill and smiling.
A large rock separates the climbing group from the next tableau: a small herd of three grazing cows on the far side of a stream or long tree stump. Above this feature in a grassy meadow is a four-sided fort-like structure with a crumbling tower at each corner and tall slits for windows. More grassy hills follow, with another square building with two crumbling towers in the extreme distance. Next, a pair of men wearing baseball-like caps and brandishing riding crops whip their horses up a steep rocky incline towards another high-walled building with crumbling towers. Beyond is another horseback rider, with a cape and long feather streaming off his hat. A pair of dogs lead him up a steep, long grassy hill to another walled-in town with two buildings having crumbling towers at the very top of the tooth.
Clearly, the tusk is telling some sort of story, but whether the group on horseback is exploring, prospecting, on a hunting trip or some completely unrelated activity is not clear. The repeating fort-like buildings with crumbling towers appear to be Spanish colonial adobe, perhaps placing the tableau in California, Mexico or Central America. However, the woman at the start of the expedition is riding sidesaddle and all the saddles are English rather than Western, further obscuring the location and meaning of the spiral tale.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
TR.374503
catalog number
374503
accession number
136263

Whitall, Tatum and Company Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
Whitall, Tatum & Company of Millville, New Jersey was formed in 1901 and employed first rate craftsmen who created outstanding paperweights.
Michael Kane at Whitall, Tatum and Company likely made this frit work (fusing powdered glass to create an image) paperweight, bearing an image of an American eagle and a flag shield. The barely legible initials “F.O.E” may indicate that this was made as a souvenir for the Fraternal Order of Eagles, a men’s organization founded in 1898.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Whitall Tatum Company
ID Number
CE.60.140
catalog number
60.140
accession number
211475

Church in Baccarat

Ink wash sketch on paper. A gothic church rises above a bridge spanning a river. A convoy of large vehicles crosses the bridge.From catalog card: "The bridge was blown up in the early part of the war; is now temporarily repaired."Currently not on view
Description
Ink wash sketch on paper. A gothic church rises above a bridge spanning a river. A convoy of large vehicles crosses the bridge.
From catalog card: "The bridge was blown up in the early part of the war; is now temporarily repaired."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-04
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
maker
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25820
catalog number
25820
accession number
64592

Charteves

Oil on canvas. Catalogue card reads "On the Marne, a few miles east of Château Thierry. Sketch made in July 1918, when the Chateau Thierry pocket was being wiped out." A church in ruins and two soldiers on the road in background.
Description
Oil on canvas. Catalogue card reads "On the Marne, a few miles east of Château Thierry. Sketch made in July 1918, when the Chateau Thierry pocket was being wiped out." A church in ruins and two soldiers on the road in background. A tree branch in front of a garden wall in left foreground. A dead horse in center foreground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
depicted
1918-07
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.35928
catalog number
35928
accession number
104470

Venice

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
GA.14572
catalog number
14572
accession number
94830

Encampment at Rebeuville, Troops of the Forty-Second Division

A charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper of a encampment at Rebeuville, France during September of 1918. Some soldiers of the forty-second division of the American Expeditionary Force are pictured here. This division participated in the St.
Description
A charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper of a encampment at Rebeuville, France during September of 1918. Some soldiers of the forty-second division of the American Expeditionary Force are pictured here. This division participated in the St. Mihiel offensive, one the final battles of World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-09
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25982
catalog number
25982
accession number
64592

Meissen allegorical figure group representing fire

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
Mid 19th century
ID Number
CE.P-31
catalog number
P-31
accession number
225282

Ruined Houses at Dieulourd

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-6
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Smith, J. Andre
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26042
catalog number
26042
accession number
64592

Whitall, Tatum and Company Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
Whitall, Tatum & Company of Millville, New Jersey was formed in 1901 and employed first rate craftsmen who created outstanding paperweights.
This Whitall, Tatum and Company clear glass paperweight features a three-masted white frit clipper ship. Frit work is the act of fusing powdered glass to create an image or scene, as in the paper-thin ship in this paperweight.
date made
ca 1900
maker
Whitall, Tatum and Company
ID Number
CE.60.104
catalog number
60.104
accession number
211475

The Bridge at Jaulgonne

Colored sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. The focal point of this sketch is a suspension bridge. To the left, there are some shell torn buildings, and to the right there are houses.
Description
Colored sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. The focal point of this sketch is a suspension bridge. To the left, there are some shell torn buildings, and to the right there are houses. There are hills in the background, and a stream running under the bridge in the foreground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26060
catalog number
26060
accession number
64592

Artillery Encampment near Luxembourg

Pencil and watercolor sketch on paper. The work depicts an artillery encampment near Luxembourg during World War I. Several artillery guns, most likely French 75mm cannons, are lined up in a clearing in front of a building.Currently not on view
Description
Pencil and watercolor sketch on paper. The work depicts an artillery encampment near Luxembourg during World War I. Several artillery guns, most likely French 75mm cannons, are lined up in a clearing in front of a building.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-05
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25933
catalog number
25933
accession number
64592

Turk Shop Figure

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1875-1900
ID Number
CL.65.1005
catalog number
65.1005
accession number
256396

Pexonne

Mixed media sketch on paper of the entrance to a bunker in Pexonne, France. Branches strewn on the ground camouflage the dugout.Dugouts such as the one depicted here were common sights along the line of trenches in the First World War.
Description
Mixed media sketch on paper of the entrance to a bunker in Pexonne, France. Branches strewn on the ground camouflage the dugout.
Dugouts such as the one depicted here were common sights along the line of trenches in the First World War. They were created by digging into the ground or the side of a hill and were used as temporary shelter by the troops
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
1918-04
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26033
catalog number
26033
accession number
64592

Effects of Shell Explosion in Town

Charcoal sketch on white paper. The work depicts several damaged buildings in a village near Toul, France after a shell attack. A road winds through the sketch between the buildings and a church on the left. Three soldiers are shown walking along the road.
Description
Charcoal sketch on white paper. The work depicts several damaged buildings in a village near Toul, France after a shell attack. A road winds through the sketch between the buildings and a church on the left. Three soldiers are shown walking along the road. A label attached to the cardboard under the sketch reads: "EFFECTS OF SHELL EXPLOSION IN TOWN/ON NORTH TOUL SECTOR/BY E. PEIXOTTO/TRANSFERRED FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT/2982"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25824
catalog number
25824
accession number
64592

The Village at Courteau on the Slope of Hill 204

Colored sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. The sketch is a vivid depiction of a destroyed village. The houses in the foreground are in disarray. Many have broken roofs and, in some cases, crumbling walls or fences.
Description
Colored sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. The sketch is a vivid depiction of a destroyed village. The houses in the foreground are in disarray. Many have broken roofs and, in some cases, crumbling walls or fences. There is a large tree in the foreground on the left, and in the background the rest of the village can be seen in less detail, followed by agricultural fields.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26073
catalog number
26073
accession number
64592

tumbler

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1894-1902
maker
Northwood Glass Company
ID Number
1993.0592.05
accession number
1993.0592
catalog number
1993.0592.05

Infantry and Tanks Advancing on Field

Charcoal sketch. In the foreground is a mounted soldier and a soldier on foot next to him; both of them are wearing French helmets. Beyond these two figures is a line of advancing infantrymen. On the left are two Renault FT-17 tanks.
Description
Charcoal sketch. In the foreground is a mounted soldier and a soldier on foot next to him; both of them are wearing French helmets. Beyond these two figures is a line of advancing infantrymen. On the left are two Renault FT-17 tanks. In the background, on the right, are trees and shell-torn buildings. Plumes of smoke streak the horizon.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-07
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
maker
Morgan, Wallace
ID Number
AF.25773
catalog number
25773
accession number
64592

The Second Battle of the Marne, July 15-16, A View in the Valley in the Sector of the 38th Regiment

Colored sketch on white paper. Sketch describes the logistics of the battle in the valley in the sector of the 38th regiment during the Second Battle of the Marne.
Description
Colored sketch on white paper. Sketch describes the logistics of the battle in the valley in the sector of the 38th regiment during the Second Battle of the Marne. Smith sketched the valley itself, and then used arrows to point at certain objects in the sketch and wrote a brief description of what happened there along the top. The sketch shows a river flowing through a field. There are trees to the right, left, and behind the field. There are also two groups of houses, one in the background on the left, and the other in the background on the right. There are more fields and another village in the distance. The captions read, (from left to right), "The Sixth Grenadiers / advanced to this point / where they were overwhelm- / ingly defeated by Comps. / H and G", "Mèzy", "Mouth of the Surmelin / River", "Night positions / of one platoon of / Company E", "One platoon of / Company H held / the river bank.", "An attempted / crossing by the / 47th Regiment", "Mont St Père", "The Germans (sixth Grenadiers) / crossed at this point", "Chartéves", and "Left flank of / the French Sector". The sketch's title, "THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE MARNE JULY 15-16 A VIEW IN THE VALLEY IN THE SECTOR OF THE 38TH REGIMENT" is written on the bottom of the sketch.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26053
accession number
64592

Street in a French Town, Boucq

Mixed media sketch on paper. Street scene of Boucq, France, during World War I. Soldiers and a wagon move along a road lined with buildings.Currently not on view
Description
Mixed media sketch on paper. Street scene of Boucq, France, during World War I. Soldiers and a wagon move along a road lined with buildings.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-05
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25953
catalog number
25953
accession number
64592

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