2008 Woodie Awards
Gone but not forgotten: Webster students give new life to war memorial through artifacts
By: LAURA RAGAN/ Contributing Writer
Issue date: 4/14/05 Section: News
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Webster University Assistant Professor Warren Rosenblum showed how Webster University history students are giving new life to the Soldiers' Memorial in downtown St. Louis at an April 6 Brown Bag Lunch, part of a series of lunch-time lectures and talks.
Two years ago, the students began sifting through delicate artifacts and old photos, and chose a precious few from the massive collection to be displayed in their own exhibit.
It was "a hodgepodge of stuff" said Rosenblum, with no order to the collection which had begun taking in artifacts from the Civil War, World Wars I and II and other military engagements.
"I had no idea there would be so many photographs from the first World War," said junior history student Matthew Schoonover.
Schoonover showed his DVD on the making of the exhibit - a painstaking process of handling the delicate pieces with soft white gloves. It shows one student handling a gas mask; an early, much less sophisticated model than those used today. Scribbled on the mask's case are the words "I am your friend."
"You fall in love with things and you don't want to reject them," said Rosenblum.
The group ended up displaying pieces in categories such as hats and hygiene.
One interesting find was a mislabeled diary whose author was something of a sketch artist. The diary contained many accounts and drawings of daily life in the Marines, both on and off the battlefield. Through some persistent detective work, the students tracked down his descendants and were able to put his real name on the diary.
"I would read letters, look at pictures and forget I had to get something done," said junior Eric Fey, another in the exhibition class who attended Wednesday's lunch.
Rosenblum conveyed the human intrigue of the project by first giving a historical background of the memorial and St. Louis's involvement in the World War I. Because of the large German population in the city at the time, St. Louis was not as quick to back American involvement as other regions. When the war was over, St. Louis sought the biggest and best monument to honor those who fought because of the country's Midwestern focus at the time.
Two years ago, the students began sifting through delicate artifacts and old photos, and chose a precious few from the massive collection to be displayed in their own exhibit.
It was "a hodgepodge of stuff" said Rosenblum, with no order to the collection which had begun taking in artifacts from the Civil War, World Wars I and II and other military engagements.
"I had no idea there would be so many photographs from the first World War," said junior history student Matthew Schoonover.
Schoonover showed his DVD on the making of the exhibit - a painstaking process of handling the delicate pieces with soft white gloves. It shows one student handling a gas mask; an early, much less sophisticated model than those used today. Scribbled on the mask's case are the words "I am your friend."
"You fall in love with things and you don't want to reject them," said Rosenblum.
The group ended up displaying pieces in categories such as hats and hygiene.
One interesting find was a mislabeled diary whose author was something of a sketch artist. The diary contained many accounts and drawings of daily life in the Marines, both on and off the battlefield. Through some persistent detective work, the students tracked down his descendants and were able to put his real name on the diary.
"I would read letters, look at pictures and forget I had to get something done," said junior Eric Fey, another in the exhibition class who attended Wednesday's lunch.
Rosenblum conveyed the human intrigue of the project by first giving a historical background of the memorial and St. Louis's involvement in the World War I. Because of the large German population in the city at the time, St. Louis was not as quick to back American involvement as other regions. When the war was over, St. Louis sought the biggest and best monument to honor those who fought because of the country's Midwestern focus at the time.