Military

Frank Brownell's Medal of Honor

The Museum's superb military collections document the history of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States. The collections include ordnance, firearms, and swords; uniforms and insignia; national and military flags and banners; and many other objects.

The strength of the collections lies in their enormous depth. Some 3,000 military small arms and 2,400 civilian firearms document the mechanical and technological history of the infantryman's weapons from the beginning of the gunpowder era to the present. Among the 4,000 swords and knives in the collection are many spectacular presentation pieces. The collections also include Civil War era telegraph equipment, home front artifacts from both world wars, early computers such as ENIAC, Whirlwind, and Sage, and materials carried at antiwar demonstrations.

Name: War Department

A Street in Lucy-le-Bocage

Charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. The work depicts damaged buildings on a street in the village of Lucy-le-Bocage, France during World War I. Several men and carts are at the far end of the road.Currently not on view
Description
Charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. The work depicts damaged buildings on a street in the village of Lucy-le-Bocage, France during World War I. Several men and carts are at the far end of the road.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08-04
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25922
catalog number
25922
accession number
64592

A "Dump" at Dun-sur-Meuse

A charcoal, pencil, and watercolor sketch on light gray paper mounted on a brown card frame of a "dump" at Dun-sur-Meuse. The scene is of an area in the village where supplies are stored.
Description
A charcoal, pencil, and watercolor sketch on light gray paper mounted on a brown card frame of a "dump" at Dun-sur-Meuse. The scene is of an area in the village where supplies are stored. Boxes are piled on the left foreground of the scene in front of a covered camp wagon with several men helping to offload. A building on the left has half of its roof destroyed. On the right, a building stands intact. In front of the building, a motorcar is parked, and several men walk with several horses in front of them. An obscure building can be seen on the top of the hill in the background. The sketch is not well detailed, but it is colored in full. White, brown, red are used for the buildings. The sky is colored blue-green. The hill and the building in the background is shaded with charcoal.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Smith, J. Andre
maker
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25925
catalog number
25925
accession number
64592

The Road through Fossoy. (On the German line of Retreat)

Gouache, ink wash, and graphite. The work depicts a shell-torn building near Fossoy, France. One side of the building has been completely destroyed.Currently not on view
Description
Gouache, ink wash, and graphite. The work depicts a shell-torn building near Fossoy, France. One side of the building has been completely destroyed.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-07-26
associated person
War Department
artist
Aylward, William James
ID Number
AF.25675
catalog number
25675
accession number
64592

Great Shell Hole Near Cierges

Pencil sketch on paper. This landscape depicts a shell-torn area with damaged buildings and a large shell hole in the foreground. The crater is partially filled with water. Two soldiers stand on the far edge of the crater, looking down at the water.Currently not on view
Description
Pencil sketch on paper. This landscape depicts a shell-torn area with damaged buildings and a large shell hole in the foreground. The crater is partially filled with water. Two soldiers stand on the far edge of the crater, looking down at the water.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25835
catalog number
25835
accession number
64592

Band Concert at Neufchateau

Charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. A large group of people, many of whom are soldiers, are gathered around a statue of Joan of Arc in the town of Neufchateau, France.
Description
Charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. A large group of people, many of whom are soldiers, are gathered around a statue of Joan of Arc in the town of Neufchateau, France. The two people closest to the viewer appear to be an American soldier (in brown) and a French soldier (in blue). The band mentioned in the title of the work is obscured by the crowd.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25956
catalog number
25956
accession number
64592

Tanks Attacking Early September 26th Between Avocourt and Montfaucon

Charcoal and pastel drawing on heavy beige textured laid paper. The subject of the drawing is a tank attack during World War I. In the foreground is a tank, most likely a Renault FT; in front of the tank are barbed-wire entanglements.
Description
Charcoal and pastel drawing on heavy beige textured laid paper. The subject of the drawing is a tank attack during World War I. In the foreground is a tank, most likely a Renault FT; in front of the tank are barbed-wire entanglements. Three more tanks are visible in the background. A man walks along the road. Smoke rises on the horizon.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
referenced
1918-09-26
associated person
War Department
artist
Harding, George Matthews
ID Number
AF.25749
catalog number
25749
accession number
64592

One of Our Aviators in his "Teddy Bear"

This was sketched with ink wash on white paper, mounted on white card stock, and has a white card stock frame. It is a portrait of an American aviator.
Description
This was sketched with ink wash on white paper, mounted on white card stock, and has a white card stock frame. It is a portrait of an American aviator. He is wearing goggles, aviator hat, and his 'teddy bear suit,' which consists of a large fur-lined leather jacket and fur-lined boots. The aviator is posing with his hands on his hips and is looking at the ground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
July 1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Townsend, Harry
artist
Townsend, Harry
ID Number
AF.26122
catalog number
26122
accession number
64592

His Bunkie

Charcoal or crayon with gouache drawing on beige paper backed by card matte. The drawing depicts an American soldier, fully equipped, standing at the grave of his bunk mate or "bunkie." A wooden cross is at the head of the grave.
Description
Charcoal or crayon with gouache drawing on beige paper backed by card matte. The drawing depicts an American soldier, fully equipped, standing at the grave of his bunk mate or "bunkie." A wooden cross is at the head of the grave. Beside the cross are a helmet and what looks like a metal canister.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Aylward, William James
ID Number
AF.25661
catalog number
25661
accession number
64592

View from a Ruined Garden in Vaux, France

Charcoal sketch on white paper. View of a war-torn populated area with destroyed buildings and crumbling structures from behind a damaged garden fence. Several American soldiers are walking in the background.Currently not on view
Description
Charcoal sketch on white paper. View of a war-torn populated area with destroyed buildings and crumbling structures from behind a damaged garden fence. Several American soldiers are walking in the background.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
July 1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Townsend, Harry
artist
Townsend, Harry
ID Number
AF.26136
catalog number
26136
accession number
64592

Refugees from Chateau Thierry Section

Charcoal sketch on white paper. Depicted are war refugees from Chateau Thierry, France, entering a town carrying their belongings while American soldiers exit the town as part of an artillery convoy.
Description
Charcoal sketch on white paper. Depicted are war refugees from Chateau Thierry, France, entering a town carrying their belongings while American soldiers exit the town as part of an artillery convoy. At left, a woman leads a horse and oxen pulling a carriage stocked with household items and animals. A second woman rides the horse. A few civilian men follow behind them. At right, American soldiers ride horses and carriages away from the town, followed by carts filled with supplies and a large field gun. Trees line the road to the right and houses line the road at left.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Townsend, Harry
artist
Townsend, Harry
ID Number
AF.26118
catalog number
26118
accession number
64592

A Forced Landing

Pencil and crayon sketch on paper. The work depicts an airplane which has crashed on a sand beach while making a forced landing during World War I. The airplane is virtually upright, resting on its engine housing and wings with its tail sticking into the air.
Description
Pencil and crayon sketch on paper. The work depicts an airplane which has crashed on a sand beach while making a forced landing during World War I. The airplane is virtually upright, resting on its engine housing and wings with its tail sticking into the air. Three people are gathered to the immediate right of the airplane with a fourth person running toward them.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25928
catalog number
25928
accession number
64592

American Troops Watering Horses

Black ink and charcoal drawing of mounted troops in a large basin/pond of water. Immediately behind them is a group of badly damaged buildings. Church spire in the center background. Birds in sky.
Description
Black ink and charcoal drawing of mounted troops in a large basin/pond of water. Immediately behind them is a group of badly damaged buildings. Church spire in the center background. Birds in sky. The sketch is done on beige wove paper mounted on brown (formerly beige) card, with decorative lines around the border ruled in graphite.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
maker
Duncan, Walter Jack
ID Number
AF.25704E
catalog number
25704E
accession number
64592

In the Shelter of the Church, Beaumont

Pencil sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. Sketch shows the remains of a destroyed church. While most of the church is gone, large amounts of it are still standing. American and French soldiers stand around the structure.
Description
Pencil sketch on white paper, mounted on thick paper. Sketch shows the remains of a destroyed church. While most of the church is gone, large amounts of it are still standing. American and French soldiers stand around the structure. There is a horse and another building to the right of the church, which is in similarly bad shape. There is a tree and more remains of buildings to the left of the church.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-10
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Smith, J. Andre
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26002
catalog number
26002
accession number
64592

Gateway to the Front, Rambucourt

A charcoal sketch on white card of a gateway to the front at Rambucourt, France. The scene is sketched from inside a shelter (possibly a barn). Several soldiers are seen on the right side sitting at tables.
Description
A charcoal sketch on white card of a gateway to the front at Rambucourt, France. The scene is sketched from inside a shelter (possibly a barn). Several soldiers are seen on the right side sitting at tables. Two soldiers are sitting down in the center foreground with two soldiers in the background and another one in the left. A winding trench is seen in the center part of the sketch with a wooden plank over the trench serving as a bridge. Buildings can be seen in the background including a wall of a building on the left with an open doorway. The roof of the shelter along with a wired fence on the top with leaves and/or branches coving it.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Smith, J. Andre
maker
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25993
catalog number
25993
accession number
64592

Camouflaging a Light Tank Under Observation in the Field

Charcoal sketch on white paper. Three American soldiers cover a tank with large camouflage netting surrounded by bushes to their right and left.Currently not on view
Description
Charcoal sketch on white paper. Three American soldiers cover a tank with large camouflage netting surrounded by bushes to their right and left.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Townsend, Harry
artist
Townsend, Harry
ID Number
AF.26103
catalog number
26103
accession number
64592

German Shelters on the Slope of Hill 204

A pencil sketch on paper of German dugouts on the slope of Hill 204 located near Chateau-Thierry, France. This hill was the scene of fighting between Allied (French and American) and German soldiers during July of 1918. The Allies prevailed.
Description
A pencil sketch on paper of German dugouts on the slope of Hill 204 located near Chateau-Thierry, France. This hill was the scene of fighting between Allied (French and American) and German soldiers during July of 1918. The Allies prevailed. The scene is in a forest where the Germans took shelter in dugouts on the slope of the hill. Abandoned supplies litter the ground around the dugouts; these include Stielhandgranates (stick grenades). American soldiers stand on the top part of the sketch in a clearing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-08
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25988
catalog number
25988
accession number
64592

German Outpost, Montfaucon

Charcoal sketch on light green paper. The sketch shows a German outpost at Montfaucon, France during World War I. The outpost consists of a large trench with walls reinforced by wooden posts.
Description
Charcoal sketch on light green paper. The sketch shows a German outpost at Montfaucon, France during World War I. The outpost consists of a large trench with walls reinforced by wooden posts. The upper left corner of an entryway, perhaps to an underground shelter, is just visible in the trench. Glued to the card underneath the sketch is a label that reads "GERMAN OUTPOST, MONFAUCON/Looking toward Hill 204/BY E. PEIXOTTO/TRANSFERRED FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT/2990."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25832
catalog number
25832
accession number
64592

"Sausage" in Transit

Watercolor and charcoal sketch on paper. Sketch shows a large French observation balloon passing over a French village during the St. Mihiel Offensive in World War I.
Description
Watercolor and charcoal sketch on paper. Sketch shows a large French observation balloon passing over a French village during the St. Mihiel Offensive in World War I. Onlookers and French soldiers stand in the streets among the maze of houses in the small village."Sausage" was the nickname given by British soldiers to observation balloons of this shape.
The roundel of red, white, and blue on the side of the balloon indicates that it is a French aircraft. This type of aircraft identification was used during the war to avoid firing on allies.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Smith, J. Andre
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26049
catalog number
26049
accession number
64592

Through a Shell Hole

Charcoal and crayon sketch on heavy textured cream wove paper. Several American soldiers eat out of tin cans, as seen through a shell-hole in a wall. A broken window shutter is in the foreground.Currently not on view
Description
Charcoal and crayon sketch on heavy textured cream wove paper. Several American soldiers eat out of tin cans, as seen through a shell-hole in a wall. A broken window shutter is in the foreground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-07-08
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Harding, George Matthews
ID Number
AF.25750
catalog number
25750
accession number
64592

The Paint Shop

Ink wash sketch on paper. Interior scene of a building with exposed rafters; barrels grouped and stacked in various places. Women working on the left. A soldier stands among some barrels on the right.
Description
Ink wash sketch on paper. Interior scene of a building with exposed rafters; barrels grouped and stacked in various places. Women working on the left. A soldier stands among some barrels on the right. The catalog card reads "Sketch showing the paint shop in the central American camouflage depot at Dijon."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25883
catalog number
25883
accession number
64592

Double Escape

Oil painting on canvas shows an American balloon flying over a small village. Two airplanes, one American and one German, are engaged in combat around the balloon. The American plane has red, blue, and white roundels on its wings.
Description
Oil painting on canvas shows an American balloon flying over a small village. Two airplanes, one American and one German, are engaged in combat around the balloon. The American plane has red, blue, and white roundels on its wings. The German plane, with German insignia on the wings, has been shot and is plummeting to the ground. The plane is in pieces and smoke and flames rise into the air.
The slow-moving observation balloons were easy prey for enemy fighter planes and had to be protected by allied planes. If a balloon was hit in battle, the gas in the balloon would catch fire and the balloon pilot would be forced to jump out of the balloon with his parachute. The descending pilot would then have to avoid two dangers: being hit by the burning balloon as it fell to the ground, or being hit by enemy fire from the enemy airplane. Thus, by shooting down the German plane before it could hit the balloon, the American plane gave the balloon pilot a "double escape."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
War Department
Townsend, Harry
artist
Townsend, Harry
ID Number
AF.26130
catalog number
26130
accession number
64592

"Lame Ducks," Issoudun

Pencil sketch on paper. The sketch depicts part of an airfield in Issoudun, France. There are disassembled planes in the foreground and several more aircraft in a large hangar. Aviators and mechanics walk around the air field. The Third Aviation Instruction Center, the U.S.
Description
Pencil sketch on paper. The sketch depicts part of an airfield in Issoudun, France. There are disassembled planes in the foreground and several more aircraft in a large hangar. Aviators and mechanics walk around the air field. The Third Aviation Instruction Center, the U.S. Air Service's largest training base in Europe during World War I, was located at Issoudun.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26009
catalog number
26009
accession number
64592

Town in German Alsace

Ink wash sketch on paper. The drawing depicts a street in the shadow of the buildings on the left side of the street. Two American soldiers are in the drawing: one in the far left foreground, and one walking in the center of the street. Women in the street behind the soldier.
Description
Ink wash sketch on paper. The drawing depicts a street in the shadow of the buildings on the left side of the street. Two American soldiers are in the drawing: one in the far left foreground, and one walking in the center of the street. Women in the street behind the soldier. A flag flies from one of the buildings in the background; it appears to be a French flag. The catalog card reads: "Town in German Alsace now in the American Zone and patrolled by American Military police. Massevaux in the Doller Valley."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-05
associated person
War Department
artist
Peixotto, Ernest Clifford
ID Number
AF.25890
catalog number
25890
accession number
64592

Cleaning Out Boche Machine Gun Nest

Crayon and charcoal on paper. The work depicts a tank overrunning a German machine gun emplacement. There are American soldiers behind the tank. In the foreground, two German soldiers, with multi-colored camouflaged helmets, man their machine gun.
Description
Crayon and charcoal on paper. The work depicts a tank overrunning a German machine gun emplacement. There are American soldiers behind the tank. In the foreground, two German soldiers, with multi-colored camouflaged helmets, man their machine gun. The German soldier on the right holds a rifle. A barbed-wire entanglement is visible on the right.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-09-12
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Harding, George Matthews
ID Number
AF.25740
catalog number
25740
accession number
64592

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