Notes on Examination of the Effects and Various Objects Found on German Soldiers

Notes on Examination of the Effects and Various Objects Found on German Soldiers
Adopted for Conservation by
Amy and Horacio Valeiras
in honor of Kim Harold Peterson's 70th Birthday
on August 27, 2018
Cover of Notes on examination of the effects and various objects found on German soldiers

Notes on examination of the effects and various objects found on German soldiers

Washington, DC: Govt. Print. Off, 1917.

The year 2017 marks the centennial anniversary of the United States’ involvement in World War I. This 1917 government publication, marked "Secret and confidential [now scratched out in red]; Not to be taken into front line trenches," provides a tiny window into life on the battlefield. Designed to help military staff on the front lines collect and analyze personal effects from captured German soldiers, it explains the importance of seemingly mundane items like postcards or letters in indicating where entire units of the German Army were located. It also includes fascinating drawings of the identity tags worn by German soldiers and the notebooks they carried to record their pay and assignments. The Smithsonian Libraries' copy of this publication previously belonged to the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. 

Condition and Treatment: 

This piece is an early 20th century 38 page staple bound pamphlet that has been placed in an acidic pamphlet binder. The pamphlet is adhered to the binder with a gummed tape attached to the first and last page. The staples have started to oxidize. The cover is detached from the pamphlet and one of the plates has detached. Conservators will remove the pamphlet from the acidic binder, retaining the bookplate and title information. The staples will be removed and the cover repaired and re-sewn. The pamphlet will be housed in a new, acid-free enclosure.

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Adoption Type: Preserve for the Future