Canadian War Museum: First World War and Second World War Anniversary Projects 2014 to 2019 To mark the centenary of the First World War and the 75th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, the Canadian War Museum, in collaboration with its partners, will play a leading role in stimulating a national discussion among Canadians about the nature and continued meaning of these conflicts. This document outlines the Museum s plans for major initiatives between 2014 and 2019, including onsite and travelling exhibitions, updates to web resources, publications and public programs. These initiatives will leave a legacy of resources for future generations. Initiatives in 2014 Ordinary Canadians in Extraordinary Times From July 2014 to February 2017 Lobby, Canadian War Museum This exhibition of 14 unique wartime sculptures portrays ordinary Canadians touched by the extraordinary circumstances of the First World War. A number of them have not been exhibited since the end of the war, some 96 years ago. They are all from the Museum s Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, which includes more than 13,000 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures This exhibition is graciously supported by the Friends of the Canadian War Museum and Michael and Anne Gough. Supply Line First World War Discovery Boxes Beginning September 2014, available for loans to schools across Canada History you can hold in your hands: that s the idea behind the Canadian War Museum s Supply Line project. Since September 2014, the Museum has made 25 kits containing First World War artifacts and reproductions available for loan to schools nationwide. The kits help today s students get in touch with this key event in their nation s history; to reflect on the impact it had on those who experienced it and on the country as a whole. Each Supply Line kit includes authentic or reproduction items of military equipment such as a gas rattle, puttee, shell fuse, helmet, tunics and caps, medals and ration tin; along with historical information explaining each object, their use and significance. The Museum also offers lesson plans and links to the extensive historical resources available through the Museum s website to help teachers bring classroom lessons alive or add an extra dimension to school commemorations on November 11. Private support is crucial to this innovative program, and the Canadian War Museum is grateful to its donors from across Canada who have made gifts in support of Supply Line.
Initiatives in 2015 The Home Front, 1917 New permanent module opened in February 2015 First World War Gallery (Gallery 2), Canadian War Museum The Home Front, 1917 will show how the war changed Canadian society, by delving more deeply into the themes of politics and conscription, the wartime economy and family life and including a diversity of views and opinions on the war. Oral History A Century of Canadian Military Dentistry From May to November 2015 LeBreton Gallery, Canadian War Museum Whether working in the field, helping other countries build the capacity to handle dental health needs themselves, or conducting forensic work following a disaster, the Dental Corps has been an integral part of the Canadian military experience. Created in partnership with the Royal Canadian Dental Corps to mark their first 100 years, this exhibition examines the Corps operational, humanitarian and forensic work. An exhibition created by the Canadian War Museum in partnership with the Royal Canadian Dental Corps. A Time to Serve Canadian Women and Total War (working title) From October 2015 to March 2016 The First and Second World Wars brought enormous changes to Canadian women s lives. They adapted to the conditions of total war in practical terms working, volunteering and serving in uniform. But in the wake of war s inevitable tragedies, they also faced new challenges. The contributions made by women to the Canadian war efforts were crucial, and their experiences forged a new understanding of women s capabilities both within themselves and within society. CWM 19920085-361 Canadian War Museum Through artifacts, images, audiovisual material, oral history and text, A Time to Serve will delve into the personal stories of the women associated with these materials. It will be organized in stand-alone thematic zones, each devoted to an element of the wars that particularly involved and affected women. This exhibition will travel to venues across Canada following its presentation at the Canadian War Museum.
Initiatives in 2016 Air War (working title) From May 2016 to February 2017 The First World War saw the first large-scale military use of aircraft and was the first major war fought in three dimensions. Air War answers the question Why did we fight in the air? by exploring Canada s contributions to new technologies and strategies such as aerial observation, artillery spotting, ground support and the dogfights that contributed significantly to the outcome of the war. Air War is presented with generous support from Raytheon Canada Limited. This exhibition will travel to venues across Canada following its presentation at the Canadian War Museum. Newfoundland and the Somme (working title) From June 2016 to January 2017 Lobby, Canadian War Museum In partnership with The Rooms, the War Museum presents a special exhibition on Newfoundland and the Somme. Newfoundland s First World War was far greater than the symbolic July 1916 disaster at Beaumont Hamel. This highly visual exhibition explores the Newfoundland that entered the war, the one that emerged and the complexity of wartime experience for soldiers and civilians, at home and abroad. Conference: Annual meeting of the Society for Military History In spring 2016, the Canadian War Museum, as a centre for excellence in Canadian military history, will partner with the Canadian Museum of History, local tourism agencies and other groups to host the Annual Meeting of the Society for Military History. The Society is the world s most important organization of military scholars, with a membership of more than 2,300 of the world s most prominent academics, soldiers and citizens interested in military history. The theme of the conference is the First World War with a focus on the people, groups and leadership. Events will be held at both Museums and 500 to 600 people are expected to attend.
Initiatives in 2017 Vimy 1917(working title) From April to November 2017 Vimy 1917 explores the impact and influence of the war on its combatants specifically focusing on the nature and meaning of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The exhibition will examine the Battle in the context of the global conflict and will chart how the Vimy site and its memorial have come to represent the Canadian experience and legacy of the First World War. This exhibition will travel to venues across Canada following its presentation at the Canadian War Museum. Public Conservation of Canadians Opposite Lens by Augustus John Beginning in 2017 Canadian War Museum Following the Canadian victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, the Canadian War Records Office commissioned celebrated British artist Augustus John to paint a subject of his choosing. This impressive painting, 12 metres (40 feet) wide and 3.7 metres (12 feet) high, resulted from sketches the artist made in the area surrounding Lens, Liévin and Hill 70 near Vimy Ridge. The conservation, which will be carried out in public over a two-year period beginning in 2017, is made possible through the generous support of the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation. Initiatives in 2018 War and Media (working title) From January to April 2018 War and Media explores the historical interaction between the military, the media and the public from the 19th century to the present day. Through key moments and personalities in the history of Canadian and international war reporting including the effort to document Canada s involvement in the First and Second World Wars War and Media looks at the use of information in conflict, such as censorship, propaganda, media-military collaboration and the principle of journalistic objectivity. The exhibition highlights how changing technologies, restrictions on reporting and journalistic techniques have shaped our understanding of armed conflict. 100 Days of Battle (working title) From June to November 2018 From August to November 1918, the 100,000-strong Canadian Corps spearheaded a series of major battles to break the German army during the Hundred Days campaign. But there were no easy victories on the Western Front, and the campaign cost some 45,000 casualties. This exhibition will examine the tactics, weapons, and personal experiences of Canadians and Germans during the final terrible months of the First World War. The Return to Mons, Painted by Inglis Harry Jodrel Sheldon-Williams Beaverbrook Collection of War Art CWM 19710261-0813
Initiatives in 2019 Battles for Europe 1944 1945 (working title) June 2019 to May 2020 Beginning with the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, twelve months of intense combat ensued in which Canadian land, sea, and air forces played an integral role. To mark the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, this exhibition will explore the Canadian battles that began that day and raged from Normandy to the Scheldt Estuary, the liberation of the Netherlands, and culminating with the Allied strike across the River Rhine, a costly series of battles that eventually opened a pathway to victory in Europe. Eric Aldwinckle, Invasion Pattern, Normandy Painted around 1945 CWM 19710261-1230 The Life and Times of Sir Sam Steele (working title) October 2019 to May 2020 North Corridor, Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum will develop a traveling exhibition with partners including the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina, SK, on the life and times of Sam Steele. Steele had a long and storied military and policing career, which included the settlement of Canada's west and northwest, the South African War and the First World War. He died of influenza in 1919. This exhibition will travel to venues across Canada following its presentation at the Canadian War Museum. Media contacts: Yasmine Mingay Director, Public Affairs Canadian War Museum Telephone: 819-776-8608 yasmine.mingay@warmuseum.ca Avra Gibbs Lamey Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer, Canadian War Museum Telephone: 819-776-8607 avra.gibbs-lamey@warmuseum.ca
Canadian War Museum Online Resources First World War Canada and the First World War The First World War started in August 1914. It would last for more than four years and kill about nine million people in uniform. In the same time period the war and other violent conflicts would kill an estimated twenty million civilians. The world would never be the same. This popular on-line exhibition has multiple access points allowing educators, students, researchers and casual visitors to explore the First World War chronologically or by theme, region or person. Visit: http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/home-e.aspx. Remembrance Day occurs in Canada each November 11. It is a day of national commemoration for the more than 100,000 Canadians who have died in military service. Visit the Canadian War Museum s website to learn more about the history of Remembrance Day, the significance of the poppy, John McCrae s famous poem In Flanders Field and more at: http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/remember/remembranceday_e.shtml The Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9-12, 1917 Many historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness. Canadian troops also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success. But it was a victory at a terrible cost, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded. To learn more about the battle, the sculptures on the Vimy Memorial, and more, visit: http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/vimy/index_e.shtml. Second World War Art and War: Australia, Britain and Canada in the Second World War The experiences of Australia, Canada and Britain during the Second World War were shared ones. These countries were, after all, allies fighting a common enemy; they were also nations profoundly and historically linked politically, economically and socially; and, on notable occasions, they were involved in joint military operations. Geography, politics and military events created and shaped threats which demanded responses that were unique to each country. However, the common ground of Art and War: Australia, Britain and Canada in the Second World War is the impact the war had on individual lives: the men and women that feature in these works are shown waiting, preparing, fighting, suffering, celebrating. Learn more at: http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/artwar/introduction_e.shtml. First and Second World Wars Canada s Naval History Learn more about Canada's naval history since 1910 through hundreds of objects and images drawn from the collections of the Canadian War Museum and its partners. Most are available on-line here for the first time, and each provides a unique glimpse into the past. http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/navy/home-e.aspx Canadian Wartime Propaganda Propaganda is the organized dissemination of information to influence thoughts, beliefs, feelings and actions. The posters and photographs in this exhibition demonstrate how words and images were used in Canada in the service of war between 1914 and 1945. http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/propaganda/index_e.shtml
Military History Research Centre The Canadian War Museum s Military History Research Centre houses the George Metcalf Archival Collection and the Hartland Molson Library. These extensive national collections of primary and secondary research material document Canada s military history from the colonial period to the present. The George Metcalf Archival Collection contains unique archival documents and photographic materials, and with exceptional documentation of the First and Second World Wars. The archival collection, consisting of approximately 765 metres of documentation, includes original letters, diaries, scrapbooks, logbooks, maps, 3-D maps, blueprints, postcards, sheet music, records, oral history tapes and other printed material. The photographic portion of the collection holds approximately 90,000 items including original photographic prints in black and white and colour, negatives, glass slides, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, stereoscopic slides, hand-tinted portraits, film reels and videos. The Hartland Molson Library Collection has approximately 60,000 volumes including regimental histories, published personal memoirs, periodicals and newspapers, wartime pamphlets, military technical and field manuals, multi-media and 5,000 rare books. The Hamilton Spectator newspaper collection, which includes 144,000 Second World War newspaper clippings, is available electronically with full text searching capabilities at the Democracy at War website. Digitization of collections database: In support of the its First World War Centenary Projects, the Canadian War Museum is undertaking the digitization of much of its First World War archival collections. The scanning of these resources ensures their long term preservation while making them available through the Museum s website. To date over 2,500 primary and rare materials, including original photographs, photograph albums, glass slides and excerpts from personal diaries have been added to the on-line research catalogue at http://catalogue.warmuseum.ca. Digitization is continuing on selected pilot log books, soldiers trench newspapers, sheet music and audio recordings. Over the centennial period, the Museum will be adding these materials to its very popular educational website, Canada and the First World War, http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/home-e.aspx, along with enhanced pedagogical games, tools and resources.