The United States entered the Great War in 1917. By then the war had already lasted for years and it would end in November 1918 with the signing of the Armistice. In that short time, the war left its mark on the country.
The National Archives has uploaded some really interesting pictures from World War I. Here are three beautiful pictures to enjoy:
Albert Sterner painting war posters for the Government. Sterner was an interesting choice to make the posters. He was born and raised in London, studied in Germany and France, and eventually came to the United States. He was in each place long enough to know the culture in each country.
NARA – International Film Service.
If you’re familiar with World War I history, the doughboy helmets are easily recognizable. In this picture, you see the giant gears and large power press for shaping helmets in the Hale & Kilburn Corporation plant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I love the gears. Industrial design from this era is beautiful!
NARA
Scene at American Red Cross Canteen at the station of Bordeaux, France, where soldiers of the Allied Armies get lunches and tobacco from the American Red Cross. It looks like they had people from different branches of the military together which seems unusual. I’ve read a few pamphlets and columns written by people who visited the United States in the early 20th century that note the American propensity for laughing a lot. It’s not a terrible thing to be known for. Pictures like this would certainly have reinforced that idea!
NARA
Lastly, I’m excited to find another historical doppelgänger! I love finding these and I’m a big fan of the Behavior Panel on YouTube. This fellow looks a lot like Chase Hughes, doesn’t he?
Check out past doppelgängers:
old spirituals 
why are the words Over There written backwards?
LikeLiked by 1 person
My guess is that the artist is working on the master for reproduction, i.e. running prints.
I believe the master would have to be in reverse.
LikeLiked by 2 people
ah ok I see
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you knew the answer to this one. I had no idea!
LikeLike
What a great look a like for Chase! Amazing! My Uncle Louis fought in this war in France. I was lucky enough to have post cards with photographs of scenes in France that he brought back with him. My daughters have some they have framed and I gave my granddaughter the unused booklet of postcards since she’s a high school history teacher.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Countries entered World War I with great exuberance, thinking it would be over in a matter of months. After four years of death and destruction, the attitude towards the War was the opposite. Many historians feel the Treaty of Versailles that ended the fighting likely instigated World War II.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s funny, people never seem to realize how devastating war is until it’s inescapable. I saw a documentary that said at the start of the first battle of Manassas (Civil War) people brought picnic lunches and were sitting on the battlefield until they realized that it wasn’t entertainment and the battlefield might not be the safest place to be.
LikeLike
I found some really old books about the Civil War in the basement of the Redlands, CA, Library. There were drawings by an artist at the battlefield showing fancy carriages with people that had driven out with a picnic to watch the battle. I wonder if they were expecting a sword fight or maybe a duel.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were in for a surprise!
LikeLike
War is appealing to those who do not have to participate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is so cool! A really unique heirloom! World War One does not get enough attention. It was such a fascinating time on the threshold of the new world but with the old world still firmly in place. Nothing was ever the same after that.
LikeLike