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 299 items.
Page 3 of 30
The Church at Fossoy. (On the German Line of Retreat)
- Description
- Graphite and gouache on paper mounted on heavy white card. The drawing shows a badly damaged church at Fossoy, France. There is a bare tree on the left.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-07-26
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25671
- catalog number
- 25671
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
The Church at Nesles
- Description
- Charcoal, ink wash, and gouache on card. The work depicts a shell-torn church at Nesles, France. In the foreground, an American soldier crouches in front of a stone wall.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- date depicted
- 1918-07-09
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25672 [dup1]
- catalog number
- 25672
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
The River at Neufchâteau
- Description
- Crayon and gouache on card. The work depicts a view of the river at Neufchâteau, France. Two soldiers are along the bank of the river. One man is sitting down and fishing; the other holds an umbrella over the sitting man's head. A large church, several houses, and outhouses are visible in the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25674
- catalog number
- 25674
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
The Road through Fossoy. (On the German line of Retreat)
- 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
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Troops Waiting to Advance at Hattonchâtel - St. Mihiel Drive
- Description
- Charcoal, ink wash, and gouache on paper. The work depicts a group of American soldiers waiting to advance in Hattonchâtel, France. The soldiers appear at rest--sitting and talking with one another.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25676
- catalog number
- 25676
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Wagon Train at Viffort
- Description
- Charcoal, crayon, and gouache on paper. This village street scene depicts a wagon train; mounted soldier in center of drawing.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25681
- catalog number
- 25681
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Billeting Village Near Neufchâteau
- Description
- Oil and gouache on paper. In this village scene none of the buildings have escaped damage from the war. Shell damage is apparent in the houses' roofs and the holes in the road in the foreground.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF*25684
- catalog number
- 25684
- 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
Behind Montmirail, American Division
- Description
- Crayon, pastel, and charcoal on white paper. The work depicts a group of troops and wagons moving across a bridge near Montmirail, France.
- A large tree borders the road, where American and French soldiers ride horses or horse-drawn wagons.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-07
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF*25736
- catalog number
- 25736
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Boche Plane Falling in No Man's Land of Verdun Offensive
- Description
- Charcoal, pastel, and crayon on heavy textured wove paper. The work depicts a camouflaged German airplane falling out of the sky. On the ground are two deceased German soldiers in a machine gun nest. A tank and wire entanglements are outlined in the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-10
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF*25738
- catalog number
- 25738
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center