When Time and Duty Permit: Collecting During World War II

Learn about the role of the Smithsonian in the Pacific during World War II. In the early days of the conflict, Smithsonian specialists provided information on Pacific geography, natural history, and culture to the American military, as well as a survival manual for all soldiers. As the war progressed, curators recruited soldiers stationed in the Pacific to collect specimens, and at the close of the war, the National Museum of Natural History housed the premier collection on the natural history of the Pacific. Through archival letters, photographs, museum records, specimens, and publications, the history of this era is brought to life.