World Wars In Historical Society

      When one thinks about the World Wars, they think about the fighting that went on and the lives that were lost. However, most don't think about the little things that went on during the wars. It was the little things I found out when visiting the New York Museum of Historical Society, that surprised me and intrigued me. The propaganda that were used and the types of businesses that were involved in such horrible acts amazes me.
      IBM, the computer company, was given a government contract to work on weapons to assist in the war. IBM was sent the U.S. Carbine typically used within the army and asked to work on it. What they came up with was the IBM M1 Carbine, which became the standard firearm during WW II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. IBM greatly benefited the United States Army in the long run. Did you know that IBM also assisted the Nazis in identifying the Jews in the concentration camps? The numbers tattooed onto the Jews arriving at the camps were made with IBM technology in order to keep track of them. Their medical records were kept in order with their certain number. You never realize who you're buying products from and what kind of dark history they come from.
      Another part of the World Wars that surprised me were the different types of propaganda that was used. Like did you know Hitler himself went up against the Daredevil and Captain America? During the wars, comics were used to make Hitler look like a villian that needed to be brought to justice. In others, they portrayed him as some type of evil monster or zombie that needed to be destroyed. These types of propaganda were used in order to anger men and younger boys and get them to stand up and rise against the hate and join the war. When you look at the numbers, propaganda obviously had an effect on the people of the United States.
      During the years 1941-1945, the U.S. armed forces reached over 15,000,000 men and women. Within the army alone there were 10,420,000 men and 90,000 women fighting alongside one another for a cause. So many of them lost their lives for a better world and a better life for their families. When you hear specific life stories of lost soldiers, it really touches the soul and makes you feel how their families must have felt. One soldier named Frederick Harris was a U.S. Private 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division stationed in Europe. Back home he had a beautiful wife and 6 month old son waiting for him to come back to them. Frederick's division landed in Normandy on June 7th,1944 in order to gain control of the regional crossroads known as Saint - Lo. He was wounded on the 1st of August and died the next day. Mrs. Harris didn't find out about his injuries until the 20th and his death until the 25th. In a letter they explained that he must've died due to shock and blood loss. The fact that she didn't hear about it until later in the month, meant that his whole division must've been completely eradicated.
     Going through exhibitions like this really touches one's emotions and opens their eyes if they really pay attention. The way it was laid out was pretty much from start to finish of the world wars and seemed to get more serious along the way. Most who visited the day I did, seemed really intrigued and most looked like they could have possibly lived through one or both wars themselves. All were quiet and showed total respect to those honored within the exhibit and the pieces within. Although I may have learned about the world wars in school, you never really appreciate it until you see things first hand and take the time to understand what those people went through.

Civil War Photography

     Have you ever wondered what life was like for Americans during the Civil War? I got a chance to get a glimpse into that era when I made a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The new "Photography of the Civil War" exhibit was quite an experience and an a real eye opener. My initial feelings about the exhibit while walking through was a feeling of sadness and terror. The way the exhibit was placed really forces you to look deep into the photos and see the horrors that was going on during that era. The fact that all rooms were completely silent also assisted in the feeling of sorrow.
     All throughout the exhibit, there were people that seemed to truly appreciate the pictures for what they were; a peek into the dark days of American history. Although I'm sure most were tourists and older people, they were all quiet and marveled in the photos hung up on the walls. While I made my way through, it seemed to tell a story and showed how photography was used through the years to benefit and to record what was happening.
     A couple photos really stuck with me throughout the exhibit and really touched me in different ways. In the beginning of the tour, I came across a picture of Seargent Alex Rogers holding the scarred flag of the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps in 1863. Seargent Rogers proudly posed for the camera while holding the torn colors. His core fought on every Eastern battlefield and suffered the second highest number of deaths of any Union regiment. This man has been through so much, and yet he stands with conviction and pride for his beliefs. One has to be courageous to be able to see what he has and continue to fight on.
     Towards the end of the tour, they began to show photos of how photography benefited the doctors and surgeons. Doctors would take pictures of limbs and patients that were in conditions that were unsure of how to deal with. Taking the photos allowed them to teach others of how to deal with certain injuries as they came along. Obviously during those times, there were no boundaries of what can and cant be photographed.
     The one photo that touched me the most of all was a photograph called "Ruins of Mrs. Henry's House, Battlefield of Bull Run, March 1862". The photo alone told the story and nearly brought a tear to my eye. Mrs. Henry was an octegenarian widow which because of infirmities was unable to leave her home. Her home along Bull Run Creek was the site of a severe battle that raged on and threatened her safety. Thanks to her childrens help, she was able to escape to a gully and survived the first attacks. Unfortunately, the fighting increased in ferocity and forced her to return home in the midst of battle. She was later found amidst the rubble dead of bullet wounds. That one photo really showed that anyone could get hurt whether they were fighting or not. Anyone was susceptible to harm, no matter where you were.