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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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60 results for: Military

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Image of Civil Defense helmet, ca. 1940

Civil Defense helmet, ca. 1940

Civil defense refers to the organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack. During World War II, the Civil Defense Corps, organized approximately 10 million volunteers who were trained to fight fires, decontaminate after chemical weapon attacks, provide first aid, and other duties. This helmet would have been worn by one of these volunteersl. In recent decades, civil defense…
ID Number:1980.6924.16
Date:Circa 1940
Image of U.S. Navy WAVE uniform, worn by Jane Blogg, 1942

U.S. Navy WAVE uniform, worn by Jane Blogg, 1942

During World War II, the Women’s division of the United States Naval Reserve was known as the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). WAVES filled a variety of roles, including rigging parachutes, guiding planes in the control tower, work as metalsmiths, and more. WAVES were in high demand and received equal pay to their male counterparts of the same…
ID Number:1980.6961.1C2449
Date:1942
Image of Coin necklace made by officers under the command of Governor Isaac Stevens, 1885

Coin necklace made by officers under the command of Governor Isaac Stevens, 1885

Isaac Ingalls Stevens (1818-1862) was the first Governor of Washington Territory, serving from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a US Congressman, and a Brigadier General in the Union Army during the Civil War until his death at the Battle of Chantilly. He was appointed posthumously to the grade of Major General of volunteers. This necklace was made by…
ID Number:1991.31.2
Date:1885
Image of Hawaiian sport shirt worn by Admiral Ira E. Eskridge, 1948

Hawaiian sport shirt worn by Admiral Ira E. Eskridge, 1948

Aloha, or Hawaiian, shirts were first created in Hawaii in the 1930s. They reflect island motifs and can be worn for a variety of occasions. The shirts became particularly popular stateside after World War II, when members of the military, such as Admiral Eskridge, brought the style home. On the mainland, the look was co-opted and reproduced as something kitschy…
ID Number:1992.39.1
Date:1948
Image of Gas mask with canvas carrying bag used for Civil Defense training, 1946

Gas mask with canvas carrying bag used for Civil Defense training, 1946

This mask was used locally for civil defense training. Civil defense refers to the organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack. During World War II, the Civil Defense Corps, organized approximately 10 million volunteers who were trained to fight fires, decontaminate after chemical weapon attacks, provide first aid, and other duties. This helmet would have been worn by…
ID Number:1996.43.3
Date:1946
Image of United States Navy WAVE dogtags, ca. 1944

United States Navy WAVE dogtags, ca. 1944

These dog tags belonged to Harriet Airey Ross, who was a Seattle native and 1929 graduate of the University of Washington. During World War II, she was a Lieutenant in the WAVES and retired from the United States Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant Commander.
ID Number:2006.62.5
Date:Circa 1944
Image of United States Navy nameplate, 1943-1969

United States Navy nameplate, 1943-1969

Harriet Airey Ross was a Seattle native and 1929 graduate of the University of Washington. During World War II, she was a Lieutenant in the WAVES and retired from the United States Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant Commander.
ID Number:2006.62.16
Date:1943-1969
Image of War protest art assemblage, guitar covered with paint and army toys, 2004

War protest art assemblage, guitar covered with paint and army toys, 2004

This guitar assemblage was made by local Seattle artist Scott MacIntire in 2004 in protest of the US-led invasion of Iraq, and subsequent Iraq War. The piece was created in conjunction with a 2004 fundraiser for the Hope Heart Institute, for which Art Institute of Seattle students and faculty embellished 30 electric guitars with various messages. The invasion and war…
ID Number:2009.7.1
Date:2004
Image of Five gold stars from the Washington War Memorial, 1951

Five gold stars from the Washington War Memorial, 1951

The Washington War Memorial was dedicated on January 7, 1951 at what used to be the Public Safety Building. These stars were mounted on the exterior of the building. The Memorial was decommissioned on January 5, 2005, when the building was demolished. The stars were symbolic of and intended to honor the Gold Star Mothers who had family members in…
ID Number:2009.11.1
Date:Circa 1951
Image of Child's

Child's "Dominion Monarch" T-shirt from the Century 21 Exposition, 1962

The ship the Dominion Monarch was commissioned in 1939 and worked the UK to Australia route via the Suez Canal. After only six months of that route she was drafted and repainted for use as a WWII troop transport. Later she became a "diaper ship," carrying military wives and families home. After the war she worked again as a liner…
ID Number:2009.22.5
Date:1962
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MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
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Phone: 206 324 1126
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