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. |
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Selected Objects |
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Buffalo Soldier Uniform Coat
African American soldiers were allowed to enlist in the regular peacetime army of the United States for the first time at the end of the Civil War. Many of the ...
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George Washington's Camp Chest
Armies on campaign must carry with them much beside their weapons. At the time of the American Revolutionary War, various boxes and chests transported soldier's individual effects, wardrobes, official military ...
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IAS Computer
The IAS Computer was named for the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. The computer was built from 1942 to 1951 at the Institute under the direction of ...
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Manpack Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver
The Global Positioning System (GPS) consists of NAVSTAR satellites in earth orbit that send signals to receivers on land, sea, or in the air. The system became operational in 1978. ...
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No. 5 Field Case Surgical Set
Many of the surgical sets used during the American Civil War were made to the specifications of the Union Army. This Civil War surgical set was made by George Tiemann ...
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Presentation Drum
Civil War drummer Jacob Booz (1840–1909) was presented this drum in 1863 by officers of his regiment, Company C, 1st New Jersey Volunteers, for recognition of service. The drum is ...
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Sailor's Embroidery
Sailors sometimes used their off-duty hours aboard ship to do hand crafts such as carving, knotting, and needlework. This sailor's silk embroidery on linen of patriotic symbols and Civil War-related ...
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Sheet Music: Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!
“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” Words and Music by Frank Loesser (New York: Famous Music Corp., 1942).
On a Sunday morning in December 1941, a chaplain had ...
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Soldier's Pocket Bible
Religion has an essential role in military history, which is reflected in military material. Steel-covered New Testaments were popular keepsake gifts for soldiers going off to fight in World War ...
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Thompson Model 1928 Submachine Gun
During World War I, machine guns were heavy, crew-served weapons. Their operation required several soldiers. Even so-called light machine guns could not easily be handled by single soldiers. To meet ...
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U.S. Civil War Zouave Uniform Jacket
The colorful and exotic Algerian apparel that French soldiers saw when they invaded Algeria in 1830 captured their imagination. First adopted by French colonial soldiers in North Africa in the ...
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Wicker Laundry Hamper
Elizabeth ("Libbie") Bacon, a Michigan judge's daughter, was bright and well educated. She married George Armstrong Custer (West Point Class of June 1861) in 1864. Although he had graduated at ...
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Related Items from the Archives Center |
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Stephen Douglas World War II Envelopes, 1943-1945
During World War II, Stephen A. Douglas of Oklahoma, sent letters home illustrated with his own water color paintings of the scenes of everyday military life in the Pacific theatre.
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