Military - Overview
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.
"Military - Overview" showing 18 items.
Page 1 of 2
Crossing the Pontoon Bridge, Château Thierry
- Description
- A mixed media drawing on white textured paper showing a pontoon bridge crossing in Château-Thierry. There are five pontoon boats serving as a base for a temporary bridge. Horse-drawn supply wagons cross the bridge against the backdrop of a village.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25653
- catalog number
- 25653
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Sniper at Chateau Thierry
- Description
- Charcoal and gouache drawing on card taped to a white matte. The work depicts an American sniper lying prone on the ground with his Springfield rifle aimed to the right of the picture. A portion of a stone structure, likely a chimney, is behind him. The red tiles in the drawing indicate that he is on the roof of a building.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25666
- catalog number
- 25666
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Street Barricade at Château-Thierry
- Description
- Charcoal, gouache, and watercolor drawing on paper mounted on brown board. The work depicts two American soldiers at a rubble barricade on a street in Château-Thierry, France. The two buildings on either side of the barricade are damaged. Several white buildings are in the background including one with the French word "Coiffeur" written near its roof. The sky is partly cloudy and a plane is flying overhead.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25667
- catalog number
- 25667
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
French Engineers Clearing Wreckage of Bridge Château-Thierry
- Description
- Charcoal, gouache, and oil on paper. The work depicts a group of French engineers (in blue uniforms) clearing the wreckage of a bridge in Château-Thierry, France. A section of the bridge has entirely collapsed into the water. On the left, two American soldiers sit on an intact section of the bridge. The shell-torn buildings of the town line the far side of the water.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25684A
- catalog number
- 25684A
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
A View of Château Thierry
- Description
- Pencil and crayon sketch on paper. The work depicts the village of Château-Thierry, France during World War I. The Saint-Crepin church rises above the other buildings of the village. On the bottom left corner of the drawing the artist wrote "Chateau Thierry Looking south-west from the Chateau terrace."
- 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*25900
- catalog number
- 25900
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
A Field Hospital on the Road to Château-Thierry
- Description
- Pencil and watercolor sketch on paper. The work depicts a field hospital near Château-Thierry, France. The field hospital, comprised of a number of white tents, is on the right. An ambulance and several people are in the adjacent road, which runs behind several permanent buildings. Two soldiers are sitting under a tree on the left.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Smith, J. Andre
- ID Number
- AF*25938
- catalog number
- 25938
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
A Pontoon Bridge at Chateau Thierry
- Description
- Mixed media sketch on paper of a pontoon bridge at Chateau Thierry. Six pontoon boats comprise a bride over the Marne River. Chateau Thierry was the site of the Battle of Chateau Thierry in 1918. American soldiers were concentrated in this area and fought a counteroffensive against the German army.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-08-02
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Smith, J. Andre
- ID Number
- AF*25941
- catalog number
- 25941
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Chateau-Thierry
- Description
- Mixed media sketch on paper. A view of Chateau-Thierry, France during World War I. An inscription below the drawing reads, "Looking down on to the city; the Germans occupied the part of the town beyond the river (marked by the line of high buildings) and the hills shown in the distance."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-06-27
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Smith, J. Andre
- ID Number
- AF*25963
- catalog number
- 25963
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
The Bridge at Chateau Thierry
- Description
- Pencil sketch on paper. The focal point of the drawing is a demolished bridge in the center of the scene. Soldiers in the river are working on the bridge. The opposite bank of the river is lined with buildings. People and soldiers are standing along the bank of the river.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-08-02
- artist
- Smith, J. Andre
- ID Number
- AF*26075
- catalog number
- 26075
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
A Battery of French 75's
- Description
- Charcoal with brush and ink wash. Horizontal landscape format. Several buildings and trees in background; four pieces of field artillery going into action. Soldiers standing at each canon. Pile of shot on the ground in the left of the sketch. Sketch done on white wove paper mounted on beige card with decorative ruled lines in graphite on the mount.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-06-07
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- maker
- Duncan, Walter Jack
- ID Number
- AF*25685
- catalog number
- 25685
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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