and frankly thought that i had been fatally hit. i said, as i recall, my god, they're going to kill us all. are watching american history tv. all weekend, every weekend on c-span 3. to join the conversation, like us on facebook at c-span history. >> each week, american artifacts takes viewers into archives, museums, and the storage sites around the country. next, we visit the president woodrow wilson house in washington, d.c., which was home to the 28th president and his wife edith after they left the white house. a wilson house exhibit features a brown university collection of world war i paintings.

they helped shape public opinion over the three years that america remained neutral in the conflict. finally, in 1917, president wilson led the nation in what was hoped to be the war to end all wars. >> welcome to the president woodrow wilson house here in washington, d.c. this home was finished in 1916 and was the home to which the president and misses wilson moved the very day that they left the white house. both of them lived here the rest of their lives. president wilson had three more years. edith,ly, his widow, lived until 1961 in this home and had a front seat in american history during that entire time. in our collection, we have a large number of gifts of state that were given to the president and mrs. wolff. one reason is because of the reason isole -- one because of the pivotal role that

the president had an ending world what i. it was 100 years ago that world war i broke out. president wilson faced to crises in his life. one was the aroutbreak of war. hisjust four days later, wife ellen wilson died. she suffered from a kidney ailment. that today is curable. president wilson faced a nation and a world that was very different than ours. the united states had become the largest world economy by 1900. but still not out of as a major diplomatic or military power. states hade united the 12 largest arming, sharing the position with greece and serbia. all three countries had armies

numbering 200,000. by the end of world war i, united states had an army of 4 million men in uniform. 2 million were in europe. it is for mockable to think that during that time, we have stumbled such an army and were able to transform half of it to the battlefields of europe as a decisive influence in that conflict. from the outset of the war, americans were troubled and confused about america's role. there were some who thought we ought to get involved. they were in obvious minority. there were many who thought we should not be involved at all. aesident wilson stated position of american neutrality. i think he hoped the united states could play a role in brokering a peace, serving as a mediator, and even when his wife was on her death bed, he was writing a note, signing a letter to chancellor bill home of vrmany and king george

offering to mediate the dispute. it is remarkable to think of the personal turmoil that wilson was embroiled in during this time. we have no an exhibition of world war i art on display this summer through august 10. and it's timely to have this. to have anoignant exhibition of the sword. we talk about world war i, those of us who study it know that there were 17 million people killed in that conflict. it was a tragedy of proportion's really as yet unexperienced by humanity. the engines of the industrial revolution were -- added to the destruction of cities and that death of combatants. y efficient in what

they did. and so, we see world war i as an event on a huge scale, and yet, the tragedies were individual. i look at the exhibition downstairs and i see the aces of combatants or those tending to them, and see the tragedy of the war as a personal scale. i think that is a remarkable thing to take from the exhibition. one of the images that i find most telling, most touching, is called "good-bye, old man." it shows a shoulder cradling in his arms, the head of a horse, who has been mortally wounded. the artist conveys the great affection and reliance between the soldier and his animal. these images are from the first part of the war when the soldier were all european. it is likely that this horse came from the far with the soldier. they had known each other for years. at the same time, he is saying goodbye to this dear friend, one of his colleagues is up the road

urgently summoning him. you can see artillery shells exploding nearby. one of which had wounded the horse. so there is an urgency and a sadness to that image that i think especially captures the tragedy of world war i. for that soldier and for that time. that is one of the reasons that particular -- i'm glad to have this exhibition at this time. >> hello. i'm the associate manager and curator at wilson house. welcome to our gallery. today we have an exhibition covering the first two years or won't work i -- world war i. rom theage is derived f brown university library collection. 32 drawings, prints, and watercolors in this collection. here we have a map that

highlights some of the battles between 1914 and 1960. -- and 1916. the exhibition features artists of different nationalities. so it is truly a visual representation. what is unique about this exhibition is that many of the images you see were drawn from the soldiers themselves. abtracte modernism and art were gaining popularity in the early 20th century, what you will see here is more images, records -- for presentational art closer to the 19th century. a lot of this work has been overshadowed by the official artists who accompanied the troops to the front. because most of these images appeared in the illustrated press, these got the most public exposure, particularly among

europeans but a couple also reached america. no doubt it influence public opinion. mrs. brown started collecting artifacts in the 1930's. she amassed an extensive collection of military prints, toy soldiers, manuscript, map relating to the war. brown donated her collection to brown university. it still remains there today as repository of military art. let's start out with some of her tour soldiers. -- her toy soldiers she collected. toy soldiers depicting different nationalities found in world war i.

we have the italians up in front. german cavalry as well as german officers. this is -- mrs. brown started collecting toy soldiers on their honeymoon in the 1930's. many of these were made in dresden, germany. the factory was bombed during world war ii and no longer exists. he amassed a collection of 5000 toy soldiers. ranging from ancient egypt to the 1950's. let's go into some upper print work. here was some examples of the printed work in the anne brown collection. this is by a french artist. he was well-known for depicting horses in racing scenes. in this watercolor, the artist

would capture the convoy of a wagon as it moves slowly along a dirt road. this is noteworthy for the depiction of horses at the covered wagons reminiscence of a 19th-century battle. we also have a telegraph to pr opel us more into 20th century gy.hnolo this is one of my favorite pieces. as a representative of many of the things we want to convey. the just position between 19th-century strategy and tactics alongside 20th century technology. ais image appeared in pictorial newspaper in november, 1917. it seems almost to be a metaphor for the entire war itself.

as these men seem to disappear into oblivion. many people associate -- with the tragedy of world war i from 1916-1918. it was immortalized here. john was a medical officer in the canadian army. one of his dear friends fought 1915.e east area and -- in he was on the back of an ambulance and he looked out and saw a cemetery covered in copies. -- in poppies. this prompted him to write this story about the death and destruction he saw during the war. today, you will see thousands of people wearing poppies especially in britain during armistice day remembrance day which are november 11. most of the artists in this exhibition were either the

soldiers themselves, newspaper artists or studio artist. here we have an example of a professional academic artist who never visited the front. an imaginary scene. it depends men of the gloucester regiment walking through the town. as you can tell, the town has been totally destroyed by the fighting. in fact, the entire town had to be rebuilt in the 1920's. in this picture, we see three germa cavalrymen. playing cards. their horses await battle in the background. soberingng ais quite if these men and their horses await their turn in battle. about 8 million horses died during the war effort. here we have a very poignant scene by a french artist. it depicts a station. you can see a red train waiting

outside, along with many wounded soldiers and other soldiers waiting their turn in-line for battle. little is known about this artist. it is likely he was a soldier or sent by the illustrated press. during this time, photography had a total -- had totally eclipse graphic art. many publishers were sending people to depict what they were seeing. as well as sending photographers. many of these artists -- they used a pen name or their initials. this would be an example. in the bottom right-hand corner, we see a small -- that reminds "good-bye, old man." it appears to be a horse on the ground, and we see the outlines of wagons and troops leaving him behind. here we have a unique print that

is unlike others in the exhibition. it really concentrates on the spirituality of the war. many people that would have been -- had seen these images were seeking consolation for what was going on at the front. here we have a priest who is himself a soldier. over histting the robe uniform. we have other soldiers surrounding him in makeshift altar with a cross and candles here. he seems to be preparing to receive communion. in the background, we see hundreds of other soldiers that seem oblivious to what is going on. this is an imaginary scene. and frankly, it's unrealistic of what was going on on the front. this is a lithograph by a reddish artist griffin hagan. again, this was a negative image that was deemed unsuitable for

the war effort. british medical officer attending to a wounded soldier. blood dripping down under his bandage. he still clutches his rifle. artist was not a soldier during the war. artist.by a british this artist was very interested in perspective. he had previously been depicting british naval battles, but with the invention of the aircraft, he soon became intrigued with aerial warfare. in fact, he ascended in a hot he could note the natural curvature of the landscape. here he's depicted an aerial view. mattemes on the gold

replicate what was on the original frame. it gives you a sense of space. ,his is the battle of jutland which occurred -- was fought on the north sea in 1916. here we have -- cornwall who was on the hms chester. his comrades have fallen in battle. were seeking recognition for staying at his post awaiting orders even as those fell around him. this image was used as propaganda to inspire patriotism in other enlistment. in -- in other englishmen. the victoriaived cross.

this is one of the few works that focuses on an individual who we know their name, and really inspired heroism among other soldiers and civilians. troops,have french french colonial troops from north africa overpowering german soldiers. we see the river in the background. shape, which is unique. this artist was well-known for depicting art deco. this was a typical of his work. the battle of marmes, was fought in early september, 1914. stopped the german offensive into france. the french haven't forgotten that the germans annexed als ace lorraine during the franco prussian war.

this artist was a children's illustrator. i-germanced many ant propaganda pieces like this one. here we have a french soldier carrying a german border and leading german soldiers out of france. this scene depicts the german officer and then officially the kaiser and prince along with german troops approaching the bed of a french woman. this is a metaphor for the -- german atrocities reached europe and america. in fact, england ordered the

bryce commission to investigate these alleged atrocities. this was drawn by a war correspondent during world war i . he also designed war bond posters and published albums from 1916 to 1918. french soldiers awaiting their turn in-line to receive soup. rations were a big problem in the trenches and dugouts. many soldiers suffered from starvation. there were -- times of food shortages. here we see the artist has only colored in two soldiers. so we see the outlines of many soldiers. that could be a metaphor for the numerous mouths that needed to be fed. images iny of the

this collection depict hand-to-hand combat and significant battles, i am taken by this ink drawing, aby an austrian artist. i'm amazed at the level of detail he was able to convey in such a small work. this depicts a young soldier who closes his eyes for a few minutes. he is away from the battlefield. he has found a natural shelter or -- with his bayonet. because much of the fighting was ying warm was ata major concern. this soldier has a small blanket and he's done his best to cover his body. we see the large fur boots to keep his feet warm. this image was probably created for an austrian newspaper or magazine. it would received public

exposure. above we have an ink drawn from the same artist, the austin artist. -- austrian artists. . it depicts a soldier accepting a mug of water from a woman. this drawn reminds us that civilians had a role to play during the war effort. this sis the only image in the exhibition done by a turkish artist. turkey did join the special powers in the great war, and fought mostly in the middle east. this caricature shows a turkish soldier smiling at his austrian ally as he cuts down a miniature figure of his russian enemy. there are multiple russians in line to be cut down. this is another one of my

favorite images from the exhibition. it was done by the swiss artist. to really get a sense of the 19th century versus the 20th century. here we see cavalrymen mounted on their horses and galloping past a dilapidated house. they all seem to be heading in the direction of these three planes. one has been shot down. perhaps the other two are hovering over therir kill. it exemplifies the justification between -- the juxtaposition between 19th-century warfare and 20th century warfare. the mt. calvary came from previous wars like that civil war. the depiction of the airplanes war.s it a 20th century

this hand to hand combat reminds us of previous wars. this is a very intimate depiction as we see the expressions on each of the soldiers' faces. the artist was a popular children's cartoonist. this particular group of french army raised the dale made of -- stalemate in the french alps. the title translates to "the blue devil." this is another poignant scene from an italian artist. this is the same artist who man."ew "good-bye, old, this is a funny depiction. we see a german officer staring at a small boy and his mother. as they walk away, the boy turned around and sticks his tongue out at the german

officer. the title is called "the strongest." who is the strongest? is it the german soldier or the belgian or french boy? to end the stalemate on the western front, the british introduced tanks during the somme offensive of 1916. this depicts the first tank. unfortunately, many suffered mechanical failure or were put out of action by enemy fire. it was this image foreshadows the type of technology that would be used in future wars. a british artist drove -- and entered the war zone. for four days, he was able to move about without any trouble. this depicts an eyewitness account. as he was driving, he stopped to depict the scenes that were

unfolding before his eyes. this depicts the british naval division in october, 1914. here we see british soldiers as well as civilians side-by-side. they were refugees. this image reminds us that not only did many soldiers die during the war, many civilians were displaced. here we see women and children bringing only what they could carry. we get a sense of uncertainty on their faces. french have three prisoners of war by a dutch artists. . artists noticed as the had the most public exposure

in america. many of his images were in america. weknow -- barbed wire and see a german troop standing guard. this epitomizes the boredom and and despair that was prevalent in the pow camp. 8 million men surrendered during the war. of these, 2.5 million were held captive by the germans. along with the average american, president wilson wouuld learld n information about the war through similar images. they may have swayed his opinion one way or the other other can watch this or american artifacts programs anytime by visiting our website, c-span.org/history. >> with live covers of the u.s. house on c-span and the senate

on c-span 2, on c-span 3, problematic coverage by showing you the most relevant congressional hearings. then on weekends, c-span 3i sh s the home to american history tv, programs that tell our nation story. the civil war's 150th anniversary, american artifacts, touring museums and historic sites. history bookshelf, the best known american history writers. the the presidency, looking at the legacies of our nation's commanders in chief. lectures in history, top college professors. and our new series "reel america," featuring educational films from the 1930's through the 1970's. like us on hd, facebook, and follow us on twitter. >> president theodore roosevelt

dedicated -- of civil war general george b mcclellan. a generation has passed since the death of the engineer -- .r. cherished -- twice relieved of overall gommand by lincoln, the youn napoleon ran against lincoln in 1864. he lost the election, but mcclellan remained popular with his men. after his death in 1995, it was old soldiers who lobbied to put his soldier in washington's connecticut avenue. the creation of the sculpture, an american expatriate living in paris, was a protége of -- it is without a doubt one of the city's most -- men on horseback.

a century of exposure to the elements, including air pollution and bird droppings, left the bronze warrior in need of repair. recently power wash and restored sitss original hue, he ramrod straight on his mount. september, 2014, mark the 200 ersary of the battle of lake champlain. british forces were defeated by the newly established american naval fleet. coming up next on american history tv, the cofounder of the lake champlain maritime museum. he explores how underwater archaeology review -- reveals

more about the events. it's an hour and 15 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this historic site. the battle of lake champlain was important. cohn isinion, arthur the best person to explain why that is so. you know him from his career at the lake champlain maritime museum. i am most pleased he accepted an invitation to speak to us on the exact 200th anniversary of the battle. and to include the battles shipwreck legacy as part of the program. i understand that art will take a few audience questions after his presentation. let's welcome art. [applause] >> thank you. thank you.