Mixed media sketch on paper. In the sketch, a column of troops advances down a road that runs from the left background to the right foreground. The landscape behind the troops shows the effects of the war. A piece of equipment appears to be stuck on the side of the road on the left side of the sketch.
Crayon and charcoal sketch on heavy cream wove paper. This is a crowded scene of American and French troops in a small, dark wine cellar. On the left, the Americans and French are gathered around a table; their faces are illuminated by a light on the table. On the right is a French soldier reclining; two soldiers are beside him, one of whom is wearing a sling around his right arm.
Colored pencil sketch on white paper, mounted on brown thick paper. This sketch is a landscape showing several marching soldiers walk through a field off into the distance. There are several agricultural fields separated by large trees on the right of the sketch, and woods to the left.
Charcoal and ink wash sketch on paper. The sketch depicts the edge of a wooded area, with timber fortifications in the center of the scene. Hills and small houses in the background. Belleau Wood was the scene of intense fighting between Allied soldiers and the German Army towards the end of the First World War.
Charcoal and crayon drawing on paper of American soldiers rushing out of a shell-torn building during a pause in shelling. Two soldiers have left the building and are running across the building to the left. Two soldiers are visible in the doorway on their way out of the building, with outlines of more soldiers visible behind. All soldiers are in uniform with helmets and rifles with fixed bayonets. The building is white with several large holes in the walls and windows. Green shutters hang askew from the windows and a green door has been taken off its hinges. The doorway is surrounded by elaborate green trim. A black railing in front of the building is bent from damage. Signed by the artist at bottom right, "George Harding, Chateau Thierry"
Charcoal sketch on paper. Three army supply trucks pass through a French village. There is a large house in the background. To the left, a group of people are sitting in front of houses and there are some children playing. They watch the trucks as they drive past.
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.
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.
Charcoal sketch on paper showing a dugout in Belleau wood. Three sides of rectangular cell are depicted; a pallet appears on the right with other objects on the floor. A label attached to the cardboard mount reads: "A MAJOR'S DUGOUT IN BELLEAU WOOD/June, 1918/BY E. PEIXOTTO/TRANSFERRED FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT/2954."
Charcoal drawing on paper. The work depicts several damaged buildings in the main square of Fère-en-Tardenois, France during World War I. A church with a tall spire and a cross atop its peaked roof dominates the center of the work. A smaller, perhaps residential, building in the foreground is partially collapsed, with debris spilling out of the exposed second floor interior.
Charcoal and crayon sketch on white paper. American troops in a shell-torn village. The soldier in center foreground has his bayonet fixed to his rifle. A deceased man and rifle lying on the ground at left. Buildings, including a damaged church spire, line the background.
Black pencil drawing of the 5th American Marine Reserve during World War I. Depicted is the regiment in uniform waiting within fox holes in a forest while doing various task, such as reading, maintaining weapons, and sleeping. According to the Catalogue of Official A.E.F. Photographs: "The woods in which these men were encamped, although well back of the line, were still in range of the German guns. The men had built individual dugouts into which they would disappear at the first sound of trouble."
Pencil, charcoal, and ink wash sketch on white paper. The sketch shows damaged buildings on the central square of Fère-en-Tardenois, France during World War I. The square is empty except for a truck, a group of soldiers carrying rifles, and a few people closer to the buildings. The buildings are pock-marked with shell damage, and many of the roofs are so damaged that the rafters are showing.
A watercolor and pastel drawing on paper of American troops moving between Le Charmel and Jaulgonne in France during the Battle of the Marne. At left, soldiers in green uniforms march along the road towards the foreground. Several of the soldiers are carrying guns, probably M1903 Springfield rifles. At right are several covered supply wagons heading down the road into the background. The wagon at the rear is stuck in the muddy road and several soldiers are trying to push it out. One soldier at center, possibly an officer, is watching the soldiers push the wagon. Trees line the side of the road and a white building can be seen in the far background.
This green, round tin with black and gold design once contained mint flavored drops. The lid has the product name and ingredients written in English. Mentheskises was produced by Ste La Vosgienne in St. Quentin, France.
Sweet treats have been a part of the human diet nearly since the beginning of human existence. The type of treat has changed over time, but human desire for sweetness has not. Candy can be hard or chewy, may or may not contain chocolate and can be sweet or sour. Sugar cane was introduced to Europeans when crusaders brought the substance back from the Middle East, and it was with these Europeans that sugar gained its highly prized status as an art form and a gift to be given away on special occasions. A status that persists to this day when a suitor gives their beloved chocolate for Valentine’s Day.
At one time, small family owned confectionary shops dominated the American landscape. Opening a candy making business was a relatively low cost investment, all one needed was a kitchen and a basket to sell their treats from on the street. As demand grew, they could grow their business. Today, many of these small businesses have been absorbed into large corporations who command a much greater market power. Breath mints gained popularity because of how they felt cool and refreshing in the mouth while also freshening one’s breath. Peppermint was also considered a digestive aid, and mint leaves and breath mints were often chewed after a meal.