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Collections Department |
Phone Number
(757) 247-8523
Facsimile
(757) 247-8627
Address
9285 Warwick Boulevard
Newport News, Virginia 23607
E-mail
The museum exhibits and maintains over 1,500 rifles, pistols, automatic weapons, swords, bayonets, knives, spears and lances. The collection has a strong emphasis on 20th Century weaponry. Exemplary pieces include a 1st Model Virginia Manufactory Musket, Cofer Revolver, 1883 Gatling gun, a Stoner Weapons System, a rare grouping of Civil War presentation swords, and a Naginata, a spear used to guard the Japanese Imperial household.
Significant numbers of American and Foreign uniforms and their associated equipment are found in the collection. American uniforms cover the range from 1812 with Moses Myers coatee and breeches to uniforms and gear used during the Gulf War of 1991. Also represented are many foreign uniforms of note including Soviet WWII vintage uniforms, Polish Uniform ensembles, French and Free French uniforms from World War I and World War II.
The Virginia War Museum's collection of insignia includes over 18,000 examples representing a wide range of military and homefront medals, patches, ribbons, badges, unit crests. This sizable collection contains such notable examples as the Butler Medal awarded to black soldiers for gallantry during the Civil War, a Waterloo Medal awarded to Nassau soldiers at the battle of Waterloo, General Mark Clark's 5th Army patch and Field Marshall Montgomery's 8th Army patch.
Tanks and artillery at the museum include dozens of examples covering the time frame from World War I to the Gulf War. Notable examples include the first prototype of the 240 MM gun, a German "88", a M60A3 battle tank, and an Iraqi SU-122 self-propelled howitzer. Also found in the museum's collection are many other military support vehicles such as an American Holt tractor from World War I and Pierce Arrow truck from WWI.
A strong group of more than 1,200 posters and 500 other works of art representing some aspects of war are included in the museums holdings. The collection of hundreds of posters dealing with topics such as rationing, vilification of the enemy, patriotic duty etc. contains examples by such well known artists as Norman Rockwell, Grant Wood, Ben Shahn, Dr. Seuss, James Montgomery Flagg and Howard Chandler Christy. Representation of propaganda themes by allies and enemies is found in posters such as TASS windows and German and Japanese releases. An outstanding collection of original sketches, prints paintings by Herbert Morton Stoops highlight the original art holdings which contains other unique items such as a grafitiied section of the Berlin wall and woodcuts and steel engravings from the Civil War.
Over 26,000 books , photographs, letters, newspapers, personal papers, maps, and documents comprise the archives and library at the Virginia War Museum. Specific to the museum is the Bryant collection of over 2,000 Signal Corps photos from World War II and Korea as well as comparable collections from Vietnam. The library is non-circulating, but is available for perusal. Research appointments are by reservation only. Contact the Museum's Registrar for setting an appointment.
Also found in the museums collections are countless pieces which fall outside of any specific classification. These items range from military medical equipment to cavalry saddles and chemical gear. The broad scope of the museum encompasses everything from buttons to bayonets, handmirrors to howitzers and nearly everything in between.