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Soldiers of the Telephone

American History Museum

Sketch by Harry Townsend, 1918, Soldiers of the Telephone
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  • Sketch by Harry Townsend, 1918, Soldiers of the Telephone

    Object Details

    associated person

    War Department
    Townsend, Harry

    artist

    Townsend, Harry

    Description

    Charcoal sketch on white paper. Three American soldiers crouch in a trench. One soldier at left serves as the lookout while one soldier at right listens over the telephone. A third soldier at center holds a roll of telephone wire over his arm. There is a low fence on top of the hill in the background. A label affixed to the sketch reads: "'Soldiers of the Telephone.' Who stubbornly lay and keep open their wires under shell and machine-gun fire and who, often, well ahead of the tanks and the infantry are the 'eyes' as well as the 'ears' of the advancing columns - keeping Regimental H.Q. at all times in touch with its men."

    Location

    Currently not on view

    Credit Line

    War Department. Historical Branch of the General Staff

    date made

    1918

    associated date

    1917 - 1918

    ID Number

    AF.26124

    catalog number

    26124

    accession number

    64592

    Object Name

    Sketch

    Physical Description

    charcoal (overall production method/technique)
    paper (overall material)

    Measurements

    overall: 18 in x 22 3/4 in; 45.72 cm x 57.785 cm

    See more items in

    Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
    Military
    Official Art from the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I
    Art

    Data Source

    National Museum of American History

    related event

    World War I

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a2-7a9f-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

    Record ID

    nmah_448096

    Discover More

    Soldiers on the telephone.

    Art of Soldiers and War

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