A grief-stricken American infantryman, whose buddy was killed in action, is comforted by another GI as a medic methodically fills out the casualty tags in the Haktong-ni area of South Korea, Aug. 28, 1950.
OMAHA -- The first photographs of men at war were produced
during the Mexican-American War of 1847. In the 165 years since then,
American fighting men and women have gone to war in eight conflicts, all
captured by cameras.
“The American Soldier: From the Civil War to the War in Iraq,” a new exhibition at the Durham Museum, contains 166 images showing soldiers in each of those conflicts -- the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and Afghanistan/Iraq.
Together, they provide a portrait of the soldier that links the men and some women across the decades. There are, obviously, great differences in weaponry and terrain, styles of warfare and in the type and quality of the photographs. But within each is a picture of a person, usually young, putting themselves at risk to fight for the country.
A handful of familiar images appears in the chronologically presented “American Soldier.” Most notable are “California Joe,” the Civil War sharpshooter lying on his side against a log; Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders gathered atop a rise during the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War; and a from-behind shot of American troops piling out of a landing craft headed to Normandy Beach on D-Day in World War II.
But most of the images, including two recent Pulitzer Prize winners from Iraq, rarely have been seen. They are pulled from nearly 4,000 photographs held in museums and private collections examined by curator Cyma Rubin.
Choosing those lesser-known pictures gives “American Soldier” a freshness that makes the viewer truly look at the photographs and, in doing so, provides a vivid portrait of servicemen and servicewomen through the years.
With the exception of the Roosevelt photograph, Rubin also wisely omitted pictures of generals and politicians, making the exhibition very appropriately about the ordinary soldier.
“American Soldier” isn’t an exhibition about war, per se. There’s no description of battles and strategy or depiction of key conflicts -- there are, for example, no pictures of Pearl Harbor. Rather, it more often shows men away from battle -- a handful of guys freezing in a chow line during the Korean War; a smoking soldier leaning on a pile of blankets during the Battle of the Bulge; and a member of the dog platoon hunkered down in a foxhole with a Doberman keeping watch on Iwo Jima.
That said, there are some powerful images of a gun crew in the Argonne Forest during World War I and POWS being marched in World War II; and touching pictures, such as that of a soldier holding a baby rescued after residents of the area committed suicide during the South Pacific campaign of World War II.
There are, by necessity, images of death throughout the exhibition: a doctor examining a body before preparing it to be shipped home during the Civil War; a body bag being carried in Vietnam; and rows of coffins coming off a plane during the Iraq War. But the photos in the exhibition are not graphic. In fact, the earlier Pulitzer Prize-winning photo show at Durham contained far more disturbing images than “American Soldier.”
Shot by soldiers and war correspondents, the pictures are shown large scale and unframed, allowing for maximum ease of viewing. All the images up to those of the first Gulf War are in black-and-white. The remainder of the show is in color.
One of those pictures, a closeup of a female soldier saluting with a tear running down her face on the anniversary of 9/11 is among the most powerful of the exhibition. Around the corner comes the most optimistic and reassuring: another female soldier united with her family when she comes home.
On view in conjunction with “The American Soldier” is “Worn with Pride: Americans in Uniform,” an exhibition curated by the Durham staff that showcases military uniforms used during the time period covered by the photo show, along with various artifacts, including diaries, carbines from Korea and a fortified laptop.
Together, the two exhibitions provide an illuminating, always timely look at the American soldier. They bring those who have fought for the country into sharp focus and again remind us never to forget.
Hours: 1-5 p.m. Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Closed Mondays and major holidays.
Admission: Adults, $8; seniors, $6; children 3 to 12, $5.
* Lecture: “Answering the Call” by Dan Sullivan, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Sullivan, editor for World-Herald Books, will explore the roles Nebraskans and eastern Iowans played in World War II, including aircraft and munitions manufacturing, pilot training and munitions manufacturing.
* Veterans Day: Nov. 12. Daylong programming features kids' activities, including a “boot camp,” musical performances and a 2 p.m. lecture by Peru State English professor Dan Holtz titled “From Bleeding Kansas to Old Virginia: Songs and Stories of the Civil War.”
* Preserving Veterans' Memories, through Nov. 17. The Durham has partnered with NET to record war veterans’ accounts of their experiences. Veterans who would like to share their stories should contact the Durham education department at 402-444-5027 to arrange an appointment for the recordings, which will be transcribed and preserved by the Durham and might be used in future NET programs.
To make reservations for the guided tours and lectures, call 402-444-5071 or email reservations@Durham.org.
“The American Soldier: From the Civil War to the War in Iraq,” a new exhibition at the Durham Museum, contains 166 images showing soldiers in each of those conflicts -- the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and Afghanistan/Iraq.
Together, they provide a portrait of the soldier that links the men and some women across the decades. There are, obviously, great differences in weaponry and terrain, styles of warfare and in the type and quality of the photographs. But within each is a picture of a person, usually young, putting themselves at risk to fight for the country.
A handful of familiar images appears in the chronologically presented “American Soldier.” Most notable are “California Joe,” the Civil War sharpshooter lying on his side against a log; Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders gathered atop a rise during the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War; and a from-behind shot of American troops piling out of a landing craft headed to Normandy Beach on D-Day in World War II.
But most of the images, including two recent Pulitzer Prize winners from Iraq, rarely have been seen. They are pulled from nearly 4,000 photographs held in museums and private collections examined by curator Cyma Rubin.
Choosing those lesser-known pictures gives “American Soldier” a freshness that makes the viewer truly look at the photographs and, in doing so, provides a vivid portrait of servicemen and servicewomen through the years.
With the exception of the Roosevelt photograph, Rubin also wisely omitted pictures of generals and politicians, making the exhibition very appropriately about the ordinary soldier.
“American Soldier” isn’t an exhibition about war, per se. There’s no description of battles and strategy or depiction of key conflicts -- there are, for example, no pictures of Pearl Harbor. Rather, it more often shows men away from battle -- a handful of guys freezing in a chow line during the Korean War; a smoking soldier leaning on a pile of blankets during the Battle of the Bulge; and a member of the dog platoon hunkered down in a foxhole with a Doberman keeping watch on Iwo Jima.
That said, there are some powerful images of a gun crew in the Argonne Forest during World War I and POWS being marched in World War II; and touching pictures, such as that of a soldier holding a baby rescued after residents of the area committed suicide during the South Pacific campaign of World War II.
There are, by necessity, images of death throughout the exhibition: a doctor examining a body before preparing it to be shipped home during the Civil War; a body bag being carried in Vietnam; and rows of coffins coming off a plane during the Iraq War. But the photos in the exhibition are not graphic. In fact, the earlier Pulitzer Prize-winning photo show at Durham contained far more disturbing images than “American Soldier.”
Shot by soldiers and war correspondents, the pictures are shown large scale and unframed, allowing for maximum ease of viewing. All the images up to those of the first Gulf War are in black-and-white. The remainder of the show is in color.
One of those pictures, a closeup of a female soldier saluting with a tear running down her face on the anniversary of 9/11 is among the most powerful of the exhibition. Around the corner comes the most optimistic and reassuring: another female soldier united with her family when she comes home.
On view in conjunction with “The American Soldier” is “Worn with Pride: Americans in Uniform,” an exhibition curated by the Durham staff that showcases military uniforms used during the time period covered by the photo show, along with various artifacts, including diaries, carbines from Korea and a fortified laptop.
Together, the two exhibitions provide an illuminating, always timely look at the American soldier. They bring those who have fought for the country into sharp focus and again remind us never to forget.
If you go
What: "The American Soldier" and "Worn with Pride: Americans in Uniform"
Where: Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St., Omaha
When: "The American Soldier" through Jan. 6; "Worn with Pride" through Feb. 3.Hours: 1-5 p.m. Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Closed Mondays and major holidays.
Admission: Adults, $8; seniors, $6; children 3 to 12, $5.
Scheduled programs
* Guided Tours: Sunday, Oct. 28, Nov. 25, Dec. 30, all at 2 p.m. Lt. Gen. Lee W. Smith II (USAF retired), the former Durham Museum director, will conduct tours of both “The American Solider” and “Worn with Pride,” which contains his West Point uniform and his dress blues.* Lecture: “Answering the Call” by Dan Sullivan, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Sullivan, editor for World-Herald Books, will explore the roles Nebraskans and eastern Iowans played in World War II, including aircraft and munitions manufacturing, pilot training and munitions manufacturing.
* Veterans Day: Nov. 12. Daylong programming features kids' activities, including a “boot camp,” musical performances and a 2 p.m. lecture by Peru State English professor Dan Holtz titled “From Bleeding Kansas to Old Virginia: Songs and Stories of the Civil War.”
* Preserving Veterans' Memories, through Nov. 17. The Durham has partnered with NET to record war veterans’ accounts of their experiences. Veterans who would like to share their stories should contact the Durham education department at 402-444-5027 to arrange an appointment for the recordings, which will be transcribed and preserved by the Durham and might be used in future NET programs.
To make reservations for the guided tours and lectures, call 402-444-5071 or email reservations@Durham.org.
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