National Gallery of Art Archives: World War II Research Resources

Gallery Contributions to the War Effort

When the United States entered the war, the National Gallery of Art directed its efforts to 

supporting the war effort on the home front. By 1944, National Gallery officials estimated that 

men and women in the armed services made up thirty-five percent of those visiting the museum. 

Almost all daily activities at the museum were organized and executed with the comfort and 

entertainment of military personnel in mind.

National Gallery administrators furnished service personnel with a lounge for refuge and 

relaxation. Reading materials and writing paper were provided for their use, and visitors were 

invited to enter their comments in guest registers.

A free Sunday concert series was launched on June 7, 1942, primarily for the benefit of service men 

and women and war workers in Washington. In addition to funded concerts, some performances 

were donated by individual artists as well as musicians in the armed forces attached to the Navy 

School of Music, the Army Music School, and the Army Air Forces Band. The Ballet Russe de Monte 

Carlo contributed a performance especially for wounded servicemen from area hospitals.

Before each Sunday concert, a number of servicemen visiting the museum were invited to a 

complimentary supper in the cafeteria. National Gallery staff and friends made regular 

contributions to defray the costs of the suppers. Special patriotic exhibitions were presented to 

showcase works of art produced by members of the armed forces and on war-related subjects. 

These displays, which included such topics as naval medicine, depictions of battles, war 

production, and war posters, were well attended by the public.

The National Gallery provided framed reproductions of paintings in the collection to military 

libraries, hospitals, and day rooms. This program was organized with the assistance of the 

American Red Cross and was funded through contributions from National Gallery trustees and 

private donors.

Research Resources 

Scrapbooks of newspaper articles and press releases, calendars of events, and annual reports are 

good general sources for these subjects.

The records of Director David Finley contain files on National Gallery activities such as Sunday 

concerts, including performances by the Army Band, the Navy School of Music, a concert called 

“This Is the Army” by Bolling Field Servicemen, and the performance by the Ballet Russe de Monte 

Carlo. These folders contain correspondence with musicians and organizers, press releases, and 

news clippings.

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Sunday concert programs from 1942 to 1945 are filed with the music program records. Files on the 

Sunday evening suppers are in Finley’s records as director. These include correspondence

concerning contributions to cover costs of the program (1943-1945), a list of contributors, and 

accounting records for the suppers (1942-1945). War exhibitions are documented in several record 

groups. Director David Finley’s files include Life magazine publicity materials for the exhibition 

Men of the Armed Forces. Chief curator John Walker’s records contain correspondence and 

memoranda regarding a variety of World War II exhibitions. The central files include a folder of 

photographs of contemporary triptychs designed for Army and Navy chapels. These works were 

exhibited at the museum for a short time.

Publications records include catalogues, brochures, postcards, and other items related to 

temporary exhibitions.

The chief curator’s exhibition files contain correspondence concerning the development of the 

exhibitions as well as press releases.

The registrar’s exhibition records contain checklists, catalogues, correspondence, memoranda, 

and receipts for works of art exhibited.

The use of the servicemen’s lounge is recorded in the guest registers that were provided in the 

room. One bound register and two groups of loose pages date from July 1942 to May 1946 and 

total approximately 210 leaves. These pages contain signatures and comments that range from 

the humorous to the poignant. A few cartoons are scattered through the pages.

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