Saturday, November 11, 2017, 08:30am - 04:30pm

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About The Event

The exhibit features artifacts ranging from patriotic posters to a U.S. Army captain’s uniform from the balloon corps
to helmets to a silent film of American troops in France.
The centerpiece is the photographs, which are both a treasure and a bit of a mystery.
Museum curators know who took the photos, where they were taken and information about each
image. Curators also know how the photos ended up in the museum’s collection – they were part
of a larger collection acquired from Carson City history buff and collector Daun Bohall, who had
purchased them years earlier at a yard sale. How the photos went from France to a Carson City
yard sale is the mystery.
The photographs were all taken by the Photographic Section of the French Army. It was created
in 1915 to counter German action against neutral countries while supporting the services of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The photographic section of the army hired photographers to go out
and document the war.
Many of the photos also came with information on the back, but that, too, offered a challenge as
the writing was in French. Museum officials were able to find a volunteer who translated it to
help with writing the captions for each image.

Thousands of Nevadans volunteered or were drafted into military service during World War I,
many of them serving in the Army’s 91 st Division, also known as the “Wild West Division.”
There were 116,798 Americans who died in the war, including 197 from Nevada.
The state’s namesake and storied battleship – the USS Nevada – was launched during World
War I, and while it did not see battle, it was part of the fleet that escorted President Woodrow
Wilson to France for the signing of the treaty that ended the war. Museum visitors can also see
the USS Nevada collection.
Museum hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults
and free for children 17 and younger.

Contact : Guy Clifton (775) 687-0646, gclifton@travelnevada.com
Category: Museums and Exhibitions