The Military History collection of the State Museum of Pennsylvania is home to a memento that marks the launching of the USS Cassin and USS Shaw at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on October 28, 1935 . A small celluloid and metal button commemorates the day in the appropriate colors of navy blue and gold. The …
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This Sunday, a new display, Pennsylvania at War: The Saga of the USS Pennsylvania, will open at The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Launched shortly before the U.S. entered World War I and later damaged during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the USS Pennsylvania served as the flagship of the U.S. Navy. Later, the historic ship …
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A new display commemorating the anniversaries of the U.S. involvement in World War I and of the Attack on Pearl Harbor will open this fall at The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania at War: The Saga of the USS Pennsylvania will spotlight the history and artifacts of the USS Pennsylvania. Launched shortly before the U.S. …
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Pennsylvania at War Commemorates two of the 20th century’s greatest conflicts, World War I and World War II, and explores their impact at home and across the globe, through stories and related artifacts from the collections of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). PHMC has incorporated the #PAatWar hashtag in our social media postings …
During World War I, families who displayed a Blue Star Service Flag signaled to their neighbors that the house was home to a man serving on the front line. By the end of World War II, the unofficial patriotic symbol benefited from a standard design. Today, displaying such a flag lets others know that those …
Continue reading ‘World War I flag: How the Erie home front honored the front line’ »
This flag, featuring the Pennsylvania State Coat of Arms, was purportedly flying from the platform on which President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863. The consecration of Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg not only recognized the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg, but also preserved land that honors the fallen …
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When Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army in 1775, regulations regarding soldier uniforms did not exist. Generally, enlisted men wore whatever they owned, resulting in many variations in color and material. An unofficial standard was the linen hunting shirt, which many men at this time would have owned. In 1779, Congress passed …
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After 239 years, this flag has certainly seen better days! The flag belonged to the First Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line between 1776 and 1783. Initially commanded by Carlisle native Col. William Thompson, the regiment was later led by Lt. Col. Thomas Robinson. A March 8, 1776 letter drafted by Lt. Col. Edward Hand …
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Fashioned in the shape of an insect, this gold-toned, pressed-metal pin is a campaign token from the presidential election of 1896. Complete with moveable wings, this political souvenir features black-and-white images of Republican presidential candidate William McKinley on the left and vice presidential candidate, Garret Hobart, on the right. During the 1896 election, heated debates …
Continue reading ‘Would you pin your fortune to a “Gold Bug” candidate?’ »
Curator Amy Hammond recommends Washington bids Adieu to Lafayette, painted by Frederick Kemmelmeyer around the year 1800, as this week’s Pennsylvania Treasure. An antiques dealer bought Washington bids Adieu to Lafayette from a tavern in Turtle Creek, Pa. It was subsequently acquired and donated to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission by Mrs. Roberta F. Griffith of Sewickley, …
Continue reading ‘Washington and Lafayette: A friendship immortalized in fine art’ »