World War I subject collection, bulk 1914-1919

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Summary

Abstract:
Books, booklets, correspondence, drawings, flyers, forms, leaflets, maps, memorabilia, newspapers and clippings, pamphlets, press releases, sheet music, and other printed matter and ephemera relating to military operations and home front conditions, particularly in Germany and the United States, during World War I.
Extent:
34 manuscript boxes, 16 oversize boxes, 20 oversize folders, 1 microfilm reel (36.5 Linear Feet)
Language:
In German, English, French, and other languages
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], World War I subject collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of a wide assortment of materials relating to World War I, and, to a lesser extent, the period immediately before and after, acquired from and donated by various individuals over time. As a result, in certain instances there are groupings of materials on the same topic, although often there are other materials on the same topic located elsewhere in the collection.

One major topic of the collection is military operations, including recruiting and enlistment; orders and instructions; battle summaries and war news, particularly related to battle lines and fronts (often in the form of maps); and occupation of enemy territory. While there is some material related to the British and French militaries, as well as those of other European countries involved in the war, the bulk of the materials on this topic relate to the German and United States militaries. The American materials are largely about recruiting and enlistment, while the German materials feature war news, military orders, and notices to inhabitants of occupied towns.

Another major topic of the collection is home front conditions, including financing the war, garnering public support for the war, patriotic activities, and rationing. The United War Work Campaign and Liberty bonds in the United States and Kriegsanleihe (war bonds) in Germany are particularly well represented. Also of note are drawings and cartoons, which often depict caricatures of the nations involved in the war, as well as sheet music of patriotic songs, largely from the United States and France. Additionally, there are ration cards from Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, and Poland and informational materials from the United States about the rationing of food and goods.

The collection also covers the German Revolution of 1918 and the work of welfare/relief organizations such as the Red Cross, Y.M.C.A., American Committee for Relief in the Near East, and others.

Types of materials found on these topics include: books, booklets, correspondence, flyers, forms, leaflets, memorabilia, pamphlets, press releases, and other printed matter and ephemera. Also included in the collection are contemporaneous newspapers and clippings, again predominantly from Germany and the United States, relating news of the war.

Acquisition information:
Materials acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Boxes 47-48, FH3, and FH22 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open for research. Materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], World War I subject collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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