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.
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Tanks Attacking Early September 26th Between Avocourt and Montfaucon
- Description
- Charcoal and pastel drawing on heavy beige textured laid paper. The subject of the drawing is a tank attack during World War I. In the foreground is a tank, most likely a Renault FT; in front of the tank are barbed-wire entanglements. Three more tanks are visible in the background. A man walks along the road. Smoke rises on the horizon.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- referenced
- 1918-09-26
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25749
- catalog number
- 25749
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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First Aid Station with American Wounded
- Description
- Charcoal and crayon drawing on heavy textured cream wove paper. The work depicts German prisoners of war carrying wounded American soldiers on stretchers at a first aid station. Wounded soldiers - American and German - are shown lying and sitting on the ground in front of a building flying a white flag with a red cross on it. On the far right, in the foreground, a multi-colored camouflaged German helmet hangs on a rifle with its bayonet fixed. A tank, smoke, and fire are visible in the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25742
- catalog number
- 25742
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Street in Neufchâteau
- Description
- Charcoal, wash, and gouache drawing on card. The work depicts a street scene in Neufchâteau, France. A woman carrying a basket walks down in the road, facing the viewer. A church's tower dominates the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF.25669
- catalog number
- 25669
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Dispatch Motor Cycle
- Description
- Charcoal and crayon sketch on paper. The work depicts a dispatch carrier on a motor cycle near a fortified hill. The hill, with structures on the side (possibly dugouts) dominates the background of the work. On the left are several soldiers pushing a piece of heavy artillery. A low building is visible behind the dispatch carrier.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-07
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25741
- catalog number
- 25741
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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First Division Headquarters Kitchen - St. Mihiel Drive
- Description
- A charcoal and gouache painting on light beige card of the first division headquarters kitchen located on St. Mihiel Drive. The kitchen is in front of a building. There are approximately 27 soldiers in the drawing although most of their faces are not detailed. The soldiers are standing around, eating, resting, or gathering food into their mess kit. There is a tent with the sign "Mud Dog Inn" at left. Rifles are stacked against the building on the right.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF.25656
- catalog number
- 25656
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Clearing Out the Road through Mont St. Père
- Description
- Charcoal and gouache on beige textured paper mounted on brown card. The work depicts soldiers clearing rubble off the road that goes through Mont-Saint-Père. The large building that dominates the scene is badly damaged from the war.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF.25651
- catalog number
- 25651
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Billeting Village Near Neufchateau, Farm Building
- Description
- Charcoal, watercolor, and gouache on heavy white card paper. The work depicts a set of buildings on a farm near Neufchâteau, France. The farm buildings are detailed with their bricks, roofs, and chimneys. There is an outline of a road. A building is in the immediate foreground on the left although the entire building is not shown. The sky is partially blue, and there are some trees in the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF.25647
- catalog number
- 25647
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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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
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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
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Cleaning Out Boche Machine Gun Nest
- Description
- Crayon and charcoal on paper. The work depicts a tank overrunning a German machine gun emplacement. There are American soldiers behind the tank. In the foreground, two German soldiers, with multi-colored camouflaged helmets, man their machine gun. The German soldier on the right holds a rifle. A barbed-wire entanglement is visible on the right.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-09-12
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25740
- catalog number
- 25740
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Exploded Boche Dump at Cierges
- Description
- Charcoal, crayon, and pastel drawing on heavy textured laid paper. The work depicts a destroyed German army dump at Cierges, France during World War I. In the center of the drawing is a large crater in the ground surrounded by vehicle parts, trees, ammunition shells, and other debris. Several deceased German soldiers are lying in the foreground. Damaged buildings are visible in the background.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25756
- catalog number
- 25756
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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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
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Champs des Mars
- Description
- Charcoal and watercolor sketch on paper. Soldiers in the Champs des Mars, World War I.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-03-25
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Smith, J. Andre
- ID Number
- AF.25962
- catalog number
- 25962
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Vanquished by the Boche Plane
- Description
- Charcoal and crayon drawing on heavy textured cream wove paper. The work depicts two Allied aircraft burning and falling from the sky as two men descend in parachutes.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-09-27
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25748
- catalog number
- 25748
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Rounding up Boche Prisoners
- Description
- Charcoal, crayon, gouache, and blue wash drawing on heavy textured cream wove paper. The work depicts American soldiers marching German ("Boche") prisoners of war (unarmed, in green uniforms) through a street in a recaptured village on the Marne. A woman is sitting inside one of the badly damaged buildings lining the street. Deceased German soldiers are lying on the ground in the foreground.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-07
- 1918-07-01
- 1918-07-01
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25747
- catalog number
- 25747
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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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
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His Bunkie
- Description
- Charcoal or crayon with gouache drawing on beige paper backed by card matte. The drawing depicts an American soldier, fully equipped, standing at the grave of his bunk mate or "bunkie." A wooden cross is at the head of the grave. Beside the cross are a helmet and what looks like a metal canister.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF.25661
- catalog number
- 25661
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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American Troops Supply Train
- Description
- Gouache and oil on beige paper mounted flush on brown board. The drawing depicts an American supply train during World War I. The drawing shows two buildings with trees in the background. The large building is shell-torn. In the foreground, two supply carts are shown along with several supply bags at front right. An active scene, there are approximately nine soldiers wearing green uniforms standing around, sitting in the cart, and one on horseback. There is another soldier wearing blue on horseback entering from the right.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Aylward, William James
- ID Number
- AF.25645
- catalog number
- 25645
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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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
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Major R. M. Smith, Fourth Infantry
- Description
- Charcoal, sanguine, graphite, and crayon sketches on thick textured cream wove paper. The paper is oriented vertically and divided into three scenes - one on the bottom that occupies the width of the paper, and two, situated side by side, on top of the bottom one. The top left scene is a view of a shell-torn church and a soldier through an open doorway. The inscription at the top left of this scene reads "CHURCH AT NESLES." The top right sketch shows a stairway leading to the entry of a building. Soldiers are sitting on the stairway; a gate is at the right. The inscription at the top right of this sketch reads "4th Inf. 3 Div. TROOPS BILLETED p.t. HEURETE bise FARM July 1...[cut off]." The bottom sketch shows a man walking away from a shell torn building.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1918-07
- associated date
- 1917-1918
- associated person
- War Department
- artist
- Harding, George Matthews
- ID Number
- AF.25743
- catalog number
- 25743
- accession number
- 64592
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
