Library Launches New Exhibit: ‘World War I: Lessons and Legacies’

How has our world been shaped by the legacies of World War I? The Smithsonian Exhibition World War I: Lessons and Legacies is now available for viewing at the Sprague Library.

This is a traveling exhibit, with posters provided by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Museum of American History. It is funded in part by The United States World War I Centennial Commission and the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.

“Beyond the countries involved and people affected, World War I gave rise to significant and enduring changes in America. Wartime technologies and medical advances resulted in new industries and novel ways to fight disease and treat disability. The roles that women and minorities filled in the war led to the right to vote for women and a raised consciousness of civil rights issues throughout society. From the Great Migration to the 1918 flu pandemic and from the unionization movement to women’s suffrage, World War I led to pivotal changes in America’s culture, technology, economy, and role in the world. It redefined how we saw ourselves as Americans and its legacy continues a century later.” (Smithsonian Exhibition Service website).

Check out the exhibit today in the library’s main lobby or take a look at the online exhibit.