This database includes articles, lesson plans and primary sources from the National WWI Museum and Memorial and our partners around the world, presented in collaboration with the United States World War One Centennial Commission.
Do you have resources that you want to share or have questions? Contact us at education@theworldwar.org.
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Getting Dressed in WWIVideo SeriesCreator: Crows Eye ProductionsFrom soldiers in the Artists Rifles and nurses in the Voluntary Aid Detachment to working class suffragettes and young women, see who wore what—and why they wore it—in Great Britain during the Great War and the 1919 Flu Pandemic with these short videos by Crows Eye Productions.<br>View Online |
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Women & The American StoryModernizing America: 1889–1920Creator: New-York Historical SocietyA departure from years of isolationist policies, the U.S. entry into WWI signaled a change in the way Americans thought and felt about the rest of the world - a change reflected in their fashion. In these lessons created by the New-York Historical Society Museum and Library, learn about the rise of Madame C.J. Walker, the first self-made Black female millionaire in the United States who built her beauty empire during the war, as well as post-war consumerism and the popularization of flappers.<br>Explore Online |
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When Paper Clothing Was the Perfect FitArticle by Greg DaughertyCreator: Smithsonian MagazineA cheaper, light-weight alternative to wool and cotton—materials that were either scarce or too expensive to afford in countries ravaged by the war—paper quickly became a popular fabric for garments in the last and post-war years. Learn more about this convenient cloth that could be cleaned with an eraser with this article by Smithsonian Magazine.<br>Read Online |
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The Wool Brigades of World War IWhen Knitting Was a Patriotic DutyCreator: Atlas ObscuraVolunteer knitters—men and women of various ages and races—dedicated two million hours, nearly 230 years’ worth of labor, in the eighteen months the United States was at war. By its end, 45 million pounds of wool were used to make 22 million garments to support soldiers stationed domestically and overseas. Learn more about the nation-wide knitting campaigns with this article by Atlas Obscura.<br>Read Online |
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Intricate Illustrations of Parisian CostumesFrench Fashion Plates from 1912-1914Creator: Chester Beatty LibraryA century after the publication of the fashion magazine <em>Journal des Dames et des Modes</em> (1912-1914), the Chester Beatty Library exhibited over 100 of the Journal’s unique fashion illustrations, known as Costumes Parisiens. This virtual exhibition by Google Arts and Culture provides a brief introduction to the Journal, the artists and designers represented, and the fashion and clothing of the period, through a stunning collection of vividly illustrated fashion plates.<br>Explore Online |
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O SAY CAN YOU SEE? Stories from the MuseumWWI Blog PostsCreator: National Museum of American HistoryThis blog series from the National Museum of American History focuses on interesting stories and objects in the collection, including a wide range of posts related to World War I, including fashion and textile history, volunteers, Black soldiers in the AEF, posters and illustration as well as the service of animals.<br>Explore Online |
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The King of Fashion: Paul PoiretCreator: The Metropolitan Museum of ArtHailed as the defining clothing and costume designer of the 20th century, Paul Poiret is credited for creating “the blueprint of the modern fashion industry.” Explore his pieces and discover more on early haute couture with essays and artifacts featured in The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.<br>Explore Online |
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Digital Archives: 1910sKyoto Costume InstituteCreator: The Kyoto Costume InstituteThe breadth of European imperialism—particularly of the British and French—stretched deep into Africa and Asia, introducing Western colonizers to a myriad of new textiles, patterns, and styles of dress. Examine the cross-cultural influence on European and Asian fashion during the wartime era with The Kyoto Costume Institute’s Digital Archive.<br>Explore Online |
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Some Effects of the World War on CottonCreator: University of FloridaInvestigate the war’s impact on both the global and American cotton markets in this 1937 report by The United States Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Economics, made available online from the University of Florida Digital Collections.<br>View Online |
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Fashioning Gender in Wartime FranceDr. Maude Bass-Krueger and Dr. Sophie KurkdjianCreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialWorld War I brought about significant and lasting cultural changes, including the way women dress. In this conversation with Dr. Maude Bass-Krueger and Dr. Sophie Kurkdjian, curators of the exhibition <i>French Fashion, Women and the First World War</i>, learn how women’s fashion not only responded to the realities of the conflict, but also reflected shifting societal attitudes surrounding gender and its connections to the war.<br>View Online |
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Flu Meets FashionWomen's Wear DailyCreator: Women's Wear DailyAs public and personal hygiene adapted to slow the spread of influenza in 1918, so did clothing. From mask mandates to suit bans, learn more about the pandemic’s influence on fashion with this article and archived newspaper clippings from Women’s Wear Daily (WWD).<br>Read Online |
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How WWI Sparked the Gay Rights MovementCreator: Smithsonian MagazineAs true with all Americans, LGBT individuals volunteered for, objected against and fought in World War I. With few exceptions, notably American expatriates Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, most Americans did not publicly "come out" during the era as it was considered illegal under varying interpretations of laws throughout the United States. The war left its own enduring legacy on LGBTQ history: sparking the modern gay rights movement.<br>View Online |
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Female Impersonation and WWIInquiry QuestionCreator: Out for Safe Schools / One Archives FoundationWhat role did female impersonations in various soldier camp performances play in allowing soldiers to explore their identity? Understanding LGBTQ history in the complex setting of a global war is challenging, but this lesson provides students the opportunity to explore the question of identity through primary sources. Using photos and quotes from letters, this inquiry asks students to consider the purpose of cross-dressing in WWI soldier camps through analysis and collaborative learning.<br>View Online |
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The Rise of GivingAmerican Philanthropy and WWICreator: National WWI Museum and MemorialThe digital exhibition <em>The Rise of Giving: American Philanthropy and WWI</em> explores the American philanthropic movement in WWI, sharing the stories of the Americans and the organizations that played a key role in reshaping the world in the wake of war.<br>Explore Online |
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Gertrude SteinJewish Women's Archive - EncyclopediaCreator: Jewish Women's ArchiveFrom the Jewish Women's Archive, this encyclopedia entry details the life of American writer and iconoclast Gertrude Stein. Stein and her lifelong companion Alice Toklas volunteered for the American Fund for French Wounded during the war, delivering hospital supplies throughout the south of France.<br>Read Online |
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about this project
The United States World War One Centennial Commission and the National WWI Museum and Memorial are dedicated to educating the public about the causes, events and consequences of the conflict and we encourage the use of these resources to better understand the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community.
Assisting in this endeavor are:
