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 19 items.
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Hernan Cortes
- Description
- This engraving shows Hernán Cortés (1485–1547), the Spanish captain who headed the conquest of the Aztec Empire. He became a part of popular mythology the moment he arrived in Mexico in 1521. Cortés had spent time in Cuba killing and enslaving its indigenous inhabitants and administering the new social order of the Spanish colonies of the Caribbean. As his well-read memoirs attest, even his experiences in Cuba did not prepare him for the history-altering intrigues, battles, and cultural encounters between the Spanish and the Mexicans, Mayas, and their many neighbors in between. Motivated by an ancient notion of fame, Hernán Cortés wrote his own version of the conquest of Mexico that put him squarely at the center, favored by the Christian God. But neither his victories nor his pillage of the Mexican capital would have been possible without the aid of soldiers, slaves, and supplies from the enemies of the Aztecs. As a testament to Cortés's enduring fame, his portrait by the Spanish painter Antonio Carnicero was published as an engraving by Manuel Salvador y Carmona in 1791 in the book, Retratos de los españoles ilustres, con un epítome de sus vidas, (Portraits of Illustrious Spaniards, with a Synopsis of Their Lives.)
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1795
- depicted
- Cortes, Hernan
- original artist
- Carnicero, D. A.
- graphic artist
- Carmona, D. J. A.
- ID Number
- GA*20683
- catalog number
- 20683
- accession number
- 226630
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Buffalo Chase
- Description
- Wohaw, aka Beef, Wolf Robe, Gu hau de (Kiowa),
- drawn between 1875 and 1878 at Fort Marion, Florida
- "Buffalo Chase"
- Collected by Richard Henry Pratt about 1878
- Pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor
- Wohaw's drawing shows a party of Kiowa warriors participating in a buffalo hunt. The warriors ride tightly together behind the herd. One buffalo has been successfully killed.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1875-1878
- original artist
- Wohaw
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.53
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.053
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
In Pursuit of Game
- Description
- Shave Head, or O-uk-ste-uh (Cheyenne),
- drawn between 1875 and 1878 at Fort Marion, Florida
- “In Pursuit of Game”
- Collected by Richard Henry Pratt about 1878
- Pencil, colored pencil, ink and colored ink
- This drawing shows two Cheyenne warriors hiding and hunting in a wooded area. Buffalo, elk, a turkey, and a flying bird are present. One of the warriors points his rifle towards the elk and buffalo. The other warrior aims his arrow at the flying bird.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1875-1878
- original artist
- Shave Head
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.55
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.055
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of fish species "Nematoenys inermis"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Nematogenys inermis [Grd]” from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXII in the “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Girard, Charles
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.17
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.17
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of fossilized "Mastodon Andium"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Mastodon andium,” from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XIII in the “Paleontology: fossil mammals” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Jeffries Wyman (1814–1874).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1855
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- United States Navy
- author
- Gilliss, James Melville
- ID Number
- 2008.0175.24
- accession number
- 2008.0175
- catalog number
- 2008.0175.24
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of fish species "Belone scrulator"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Belone scrulator [Grd]”, now "Strongylura marina" or Atlantic needlefish, from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 13 in the “Fishes” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, which was written by Charles Girard (1822–1895). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1859
- publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Wendell, Cornelius
- author
- Girard, Charles
- Emory, William H.
- publisher
- U.S. Army
- ID Number
- 2009.0115.058
- catalog number
- 2009.0115.058
- accession number
- 2009.0115
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of toad and salamander species"Scaphiopus couchii, Amblystoma proserpina, Amblystoma texana"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Scaphiopus couchii [Baird], Ambytoma proserpina [B & G], and Ambystoma texana [Baird]”—; now Scaphiopus couchii (Couch’s spadefoot or Spadefoot toad), "Ambystoma mavortium" (Western tiger salamander) and "Ambystoma texanum" (Texas salamander); from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c. 1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 35 in the “Reptiles” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, written by S.F. Baird (1823–1887). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1859
- author
- Baird, Spencer Fullerton
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Wendell, Cornelius
- author
- Emory, William H.
- publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Army
- ID Number
- 2009.0115.059
- catalog number
- 2009.0115.059
- accession number
- 2009.0115
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of lizard species "Crotaphylus wislizenii"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Crotaphylus wislizenii [sic] [B & G],” now "Gambelia wislizenii" or Longnose leopard lizard, from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 31 in the “Reptiles” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, written by S.F. Baird (1823–1887). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1859
- author
- Baird, Spencer Fullerton
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Wendell, Cornelius
- author
- Emory, William H.
- publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- ID Number
- 2009.0115.060
- catalog number
- 2009.0115.060
- accession number
- 2009.0115
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of frog species "Batrachyla longipes, Heloecetes clarii, Ylarana fusca, Acris archeta"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Batrachyla longipes [Baird], Heloecetes clarkia [Baird], Hylarana fusca [Baird], and Acris archeta [sic] [Baird]," now "Eleutherodactylus longipes" (Long–footed frog, Long–footed robber frog, or Longfoot robber frog), "Pseudacris clarkia" (Clark’s tree frog, Clark’s striped tree frog, or Spotted chorus frog), Hylarana fusca [Baird], and "Acris gryllus" (Cricket frog); from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 37 in the “Reptiles” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, written by S.F. Baird (1823–1887). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1859
- author
- Baird, Spencer Fullerton
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Wendell, Cornelius
- author
- Emory, William H.
- publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Army
- ID Number
- 2009.0115.061
- catalog number
- 2009.0115.061
- accession number
- 2009.0115
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraving of lizard species "Phrynosoma regale, Doliosaurus m'callii"
- Description
- William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Phrynosoma regale [Girard] and Doliosaurus m’callii [Girard]”—now "Phrynosoma solare" (Regal horned lizard) and "Phrynosoma mcallii" (Flat–tail horned lizard); from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 28 in the “Reptiles” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, written by S.F. Baird (1823–1887). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of book publication
- 1859
- author
- Baird, Spencer Fullerton
- original artist
- Richard, John H.
- graphic artist
- Dougal, William H.
- printer
- Wendell, Cornelius
- author
- Emory, William H.
- publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Army
- ID Number
- 2009.0115.062
- catalog number
- 2009.0115.062
- accession number
- 2009.0115
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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