Military
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.
884
Page 1 of 45
-
Feldwache II Landwehr JR15 Luxemburg, 14.9.14
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1914-09-14
- ID Number
- 1986.3048.1724
- nonaccession number
- 1986.3048
- catalog number
- 1986.3048.1724
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Model 1910 Entrenching Tool
- Description
- Physical Description
- Wooden handle attached at a right angle to a wooden shaft with a metal, concave, pointed plate.
- General History
- The Model 1910 entrenching tool or shovel was carried on the soldier's back under the meat can and cover and on top of the haversack and pack carrier. Initially called a "shovel," it was soon officially designated an "entrenching tool," which was shortened to "e-tool."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1978.0853.04
- accession number
- 1978.0853
- catalog number
- 1978.0853.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!"
- Description
This sheet music is for the sonfg “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” with words and music by Frank Loesser. It was published by Famous Music Corp. in New York, New York in 1942.
On a Sunday morning in December 1941, a chaplain had his most difficult assignment — to say a prayer to sailors aboard a U.S. navy ship actively under low–flying attack by the enemy firing from all directions. He quickly realized the best he could do was walk the ammunition line saying, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” Stories of the overheard phrase quickly turned into legend and passed between soldiers, eventually reaching the press and one Broadway composer and lyricist, Frank Loesser. He served in the Radio Productions Unit charged with mounting shows of popular guest stars for boosting morale of the troops.
With the phrase as the song title, he combined the stories into one set of lyrics — fact mattered not as much as the need to inspire spirit. By 1943, the song, performed by Kay Kaiser and His Orchestra, had reached no. 1 on the Billboard chart, surpassing its peak of no. 8 the previous year when performed by the Merry Macs. Loesser donated his royalties for sale of the song to the Navy Relief Society. The chaplain originally quoted wished to remain anonymous, and the episode to remain legend. Many variations on the tale, the name of the chaplain, whether or not he himself manned a gun turret to participate in the battle, and the battle's whereabouts have existed over the years.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1942
- composer
- Loesser, Frank
- depicted
- Kyser, Kay
- lyricist
- Loesser, Frank
- publisher
- Famous Music Corp.
- ID Number
- 1983.0424.108
- accession number
- 1983.0424
- catalog number
- 1983.0424.108
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Thompson Model 1928 Submachine Gun
- Description
- 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 the need for an individual rapid-fire weapon, several inventors devised submachine guns. Light enough for one-man use, the new weapons were nicknamed "trench brooms" because they swept the trenches clear of enemy troops. The Thompson submachine gun was the handwork of John Taliaferro Thompson (West Point Class of 1882). It saw only limited wartime use, but the "Tommy gun" in the hands of police and gangsters achieved notoriety as "the gun that made the twenties roar."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- inventor
- Thompson, John Taliaferro
- ID Number
- 1986.0698.02
- accession number
- 1986.0698
- catalog number
- 1986.0698.02
- serial number
- 11768
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Gillette U.S. Service Razor Set
- Description
- The first safety razor was patented by King Gillette in 1901. It was created as an alternative to the straight razor, which required skill to wield, making a shave the purview of the local barber. Gillette's invention, which used disposable blades, eliminated the need for sharpening the blade and allowed the user to shave himself without fear of serious injury. He founded the American Safety Razor Company that same year. The Gillette Company was a player in the market for 101 years, until is was purchased by the Proctor & Gamble Company in 2005. Savvy marketing by the company, plus a good product, was the reason for the longevity.
- One of those products, the U.S. Service Set, was introduced by the Gillette Safety Razor Company (as it was known then) during World War I. There were two versions, the khaki set and the metal set. The Gillette khaki set was issued to the soldier, but the metal set was available for the purchase price of five dollars from retailers such as Sears Roebuck and Company. It was marketed as the gift the soldier in service would like to have, and many were purchased by family and friends. The metal tin came with a handle, razor head, a pack of blades, and a mirror on the interior of the lid. The exterior of the lid was embossed with U.S. Army and Navy insignia.
- date made
- 1917
- issuing authority
- United States Government
- maker
- Gillette Safety Razor Company
- ID Number
- 1979.1175.107
- catalog number
- 1979.1175.107
- accession number
- 1979.1175
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Yeoman (F) Uniform
- Description
- Physical Description
- "Norfolk"-style jacket of navy blue with gold buttons and navy A-line cloth skirt. Wide-brimmed, flat-crowned, "sailor"-style hat of navy blue felt.
- Specific History
- Donated by Gertrude French Howalt, who is believed to have worn the uniform while serving as a yeoman in World War I.
- General History
- In 1917 as the United States prepared for World War I, the navy faced a crisis: skilled clerks and secretaries were desperately needed, but men didn't possess these skills in the numbers required. Secretary of the navy Josephus Daniels asked his staff "Is there any law that says a yeoman must be a man?" The Naval Reserve Act of 1916 did not specify gender for members of the Naval Coast Defense Reserve, and the navy began enlisting women in March. While most women were in secretarial or clerical jobs, other skills needed included telegrapher, draftsman, translator, mess attendant, ship camouflage designer, and recruiting agent. The women were only permitted to serve at shore stations, but confusion occurred when some of the women were given orders for sea duty. To avoid this error the navy added the suffix (F) for female after yeoman to make it easier to separate the women from the men. The work done by about 11,000 women in the navy was highly regarded, but all women were discharged by July 1919 as the navy returned to peacetime activities. To compensate for the sudden loss of administrative talent, the navy got special permission to expedite hiring of some women veterans through the Civil Service. The navy nurses, who were employed as civilians with the navy, continued to serve during the period between the two world wars. Women were not "in" the navy again until World War II.
- wearer
- Howalt, Gertrude S. French
- ID Number
- 1983.0159.03
- accession number
- 1983.0159
- catalog number
- 1983.0159.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Model 1912
- Location
- Currently not on view
- associated date
- 1917 - 1918
- used date
- 1912 -
- associated
- Rubin, Edward
- ID Number
- 1985.0611.0344
- catalog number
- 1985.0611.0344
- accession number
- 1985.0611
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Dog listening to gramophone
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1910s
- ID Number
- 1986.3048.1743
- nonaccession number
- 1986.3048
- catalog number
- 1986.3048.1743
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Company E 5th Pioneers
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-07-18
- ID Number
- 1986.3048.1734
- nonaccession number
- 1986.3048
- catalog number
- 1986.3048.1734
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
skirt
- ID Number
- 1983.0159.04
- accession number
- 1983.0159
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
hat pin, machine gun
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1988.0398.01
- catalog number
- 1988.0398.01
- accession number
- 1988.0398
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Feldzug 1914 Wache II Luxemburg
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1914
- ID Number
- 1986.3048.1721
- nonaccession number
- 1986.3048
- catalog number
- 1986.3048.1721
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Portrait of a Soldier
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1910s
- ID Number
- 1986.3048.1742
- nonaccession number
- 1986.3048
- catalog number
- 1986.3048.1742
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Model 1917
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917 - 1921
- associated
- Rubin, Edward
- ID Number
- 1977.0082.04
- accession number
- 1977.0082
- catalog number
- 1977.0082.04
- 81197M
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
First-Aid Pouch
- Description
- Physical Description
- Canvas olive-drab pouch with metal hook on reverse and two snaps on flap.
- General History
- Model 1910 first-aid pouch designed to be worn on the soldier's utility belt.
- ID Number
- 1979.0549.25
- accession number
- 1979.0549
- catalog number
- 1979.0549.25
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Doughboy Uniform
- Description
- Physical Description
- Brown wool button-down jacket and brown wool breeches.
- General History
- Enlisted soldier's uniform. The brown, doughy color of the uniform led to these soldiers being referred to as "doughboys," though the exact derivation of the nickname has been debated.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- ID Number
- 1977.0082.06
- accession number
- 1977.0082
- catalog number
- 1977.0082.06
- 81199M
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Model 1917
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917 - 1921
- maker
- Bartunek, John M.
- ID Number
- 1979.0915.01
- accession number
- 1979.0915
- catalog number
- 1979.0915. 01
- designer number
- 1268
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Model 1912
- Location
- Currently not on view
- associated date
- 1917 - 1918
- used date
- 1912 -
- user
- Lowey, Herbert B.
- ID Number
- 1977.0893.03
- accession number
- 1977.0893
- catalog number
- 1977.0893.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Man-in-Service Flag
- Description
- Physical Description
- Flag is olive green, with Man-in-Service Flag embroidered in red and white with one blue star in center; word "Medical" embroidered above embroidered flag. Caduceus embroidered under flag.
- Specific History
- This modification of the Service Flag indicates that the member is in the Medical Corps.
- General History
- When displayed in a home, business, or church, the flag indicates that one member of the family or other group is actively serving in the armed forces. A blue star indicates a member currently serving, while a gold star indicates a member killed while serving.
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- 1914-1918
- ID Number
- 1979.0220.13
- accession number
- 1979.0220
- catalog number
- 1979.0220.013
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Long Hill 75 Regiment Near Liny Devant Dun 1918
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- Circa 1918
- ca 1918
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917 - 1918
- associated person
- Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
- Stanley-Brown, Katharine
- artist
- Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
- ID Number
- AF.59709M
- catalog number
- 59709M
- accession number
- 216896
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Pages
Filter Your Results
Click to remove a filter:
- data source
-
topic
- Military 884
- World War, 1914-1918 428
- Art 359
- Official Art from the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I 319
- Combat Art 286
- World War I Art 286
- Photography 80
- Soldiers 57
- Clothing and dress 39
- Dress accessories 39
- Firearms 28
- Health & Medicine 28
- Modern Medicine and the Great War 27
- Distinguished Service Medal 25
- French WWI Stitchery 21
- Advertising 20
- World War I Pins & Buttons 20
- Women's World War I Uniforms 17
- Church buildings 16
- Animals 13
-
object type
- Sketches 361
- Paintings 177
- Drawings 103
- gelatin silver print 45
- real photo postcard 21
- Sketch; Mixed Media 15
- button 15
- Photographs 14
- Coats (garments) 12
- Celluloid Pin 10
- Sketch; Charcoal 9
- poster, public health 8
- Pins (fasteners) 7
- Rifles (long guns) 6
- Sketch; Pencil 6
- Trumpets (aerophones) 6
- cocktail napkin 6
- photographic postcard 6
- rifle, bolt action 6
- tea napkin 6
- date
-
place
- France 442
- Grand Est 176
- Germany 79
- United States 75
- Rhineland Palatinate 55
- Hauts-de-France 54
- Europe 31
- Château-Thierry 29
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 21
- Île-de-France 21
- Chaumont 16
- Paris 15
- Neufchâteau 14
- Koblenz 13
- Montabaur 12
- Pays de la Loire 12
- Bar-sur-Aube 11
- Centre-Val de Loire 11
- Luxembourg 11
- New York 10
- culture
-
set name
- Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, Military 697
- Art 643
- Official Art from the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I 319
- Combat Art 286
- World War I Art 286
- Photography 80
- Work and Industry: Photographic History 68
- Clothing & Accessories 38
- Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, General 29
- Health & Medicine 28
- Modern Medicine and the Great War 27
- French WWI Stitchery 21
- Medicine and Science: Chemistry 21
- Advertising 20
- World War I Pins & Buttons 20
- National Museum of American History 19
- Medicine and Science: Medicine 17
- Women's World War I Uniforms 17
- Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, Naval 13
