New Main Gallery exhibits "Tank," "Battlescape" and "Casualties" open to the public

11/11/2024

Visitors celebrating Veterans Day at the Museum and Memorial were some of the first to view three new exhibits in the Main Gallery – a field hospital, a new and immersive crater and updates to the FT-17 Renault Tank. Opened on Thursday, Nov. 7, these new exhibits continue to enhance the visitor experience and provide new ways for guests to learn and engage with the themes of WWI.

 

Casualties

A new, fully-themed display gives guests a peek into the workings of a field hospital and the realities and innovations of battlefield medicine during WWI.

Modern photograph of a museum exhibit made to look like the exterior and interior of a bombed-out stone building. A large sign that reads 'TRIAGE' is hung on the wall. Two soldier mannequins sit 'outside' the building, smoking. On the other side of the building wall, a medic treats wounded soldiers on stretchers.


The field hospital, evocative of a bombed-out church that would have been repurposed for treating the wounded, draws in guests to further investigate the scene. As the guest approaches the display, they are presented with stories from WWI, interactive displays and a visual representation of the chaos in a working field hospital.

Modern photograph showing a closer view of the Triage scene, the mannequin soldiers' agonized faces clearly visible.


One scene, inspired by John Singer Sargent’s painting “Gassed,” shows a line of soldiers blinded by a gas attack following an uninjured guide into the field hospital for treatment.

Modern photograph of a scene featuring three soldier mannequins with bandages wrapped around their heads holding on to each other's shoulders as a female nurse guides them toward the entrance of a bombed-out church.

 

Modern photograph showing a closeup on the gassed soldier mannequins, dressed in dusty and dirty uniforms.

 

Battlescape

A newly-produced immersive film is projected onto the inner surface of a recreated battle crater, allowing visitors to access deeply affecting scenes that graphically depict the horrific reality of WWI artillery. Using narration, light and sound, guests’ senses are heightened by what they see, hear and feel.

Modern photograph of a museum exhibit made to look like the inside of a bomb crater scattered with the rubble of trees and a house. Black and white film footage is projected onto the crater walls as museum guests look on.

 

Tank

The Renault FT17 Tank has been repositioned for a more complete view, including the ability to see real-life battle damage on its side. Guests are able to inspect the tank up close, only separated by an exhibit rail featuring associated content, artifact cases and interactive media monitors.

Modern photograph of a museum exhibit of a small WWI tank. Between the viewer and the tank, there is a glass case displaying shrapnel collected from the tank.


At two interactive stations, guests learn more about the Renault FT17 through a 3D model of the tank. Onscreen buttons let users rotate the model to examine it from all angles and even view inside the tank.

Modern photograph of a small white child in a pink sweater standing at an interactive screen showing a computer-generated model of a WWI tank.

 

This phase of construction follows the May 2024 updates (“Into the Trenches” and “Epilogue”), the updates that opened in November 2023 (“America Mobilizes,” the interactive tables and more) and the renovation to the Lower Level that opened in May 2023, featuring the Bergman Family Gallery and Open Storage Center.

The final update to the Main Gallery, “Encounters,” will open in spring 2025 and features 16 immersive and interactive stories from first-hand WWI accounts.