The Museum and the War Effort: Artistic Freedom and Reporting for "The Cause"
26 Nov 2008 - 11 Feb 2009
Photograph Fall, 1943 [James Thrall Soby Papers, V.H.1]
This photograph shows James Thrall Soby and a serviceman at the Museum’s Servicemen’s Party.
This photograph shows James Thrall Soby and a serviceman at the Museum’s Servicemen’s Party.
Mezzanine, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building
In the years leading up to and during World War II, The Museum of Modern Art—then in its early days—organized a number of shows intended to elicit public support of the war and to solidify America's image as a humanitarian society interested in spreading democracy and freedom. These compelling exhibitions included works by artists who were motivated by their wartime experiences, providing a glimpse into the war-torn lands of Europe and the East and the difficulties of military life as experienced from within, as well as works produced by artists involved in government-sponsored competitions and campaigns for the war effort in the United States. This comprehensive installation documents MoMA's wartime exhibition programming through correspondence, press clippings, and photographs from the Museum Archives.
In the years leading up to and during World War II, The Museum of Modern Art—then in its early days—organized a number of shows intended to elicit public support of the war and to solidify America's image as a humanitarian society interested in spreading democracy and freedom. These compelling exhibitions included works by artists who were motivated by their wartime experiences, providing a glimpse into the war-torn lands of Europe and the East and the difficulties of military life as experienced from within, as well as works produced by artists involved in government-sponsored competitions and campaigns for the war effort in the United States. This comprehensive installation documents MoMA's wartime exhibition programming through correspondence, press clippings, and photographs from the Museum Archives.