The Michigan State University Museum will open a new exhibit, “War and Speech: Propaganda, Patriotism and Dissent in the Great War” on Saturday. The exhibit, which will run until Nov. 11, 2018, focuses on the home front battle of World War I, also called the Great War, and will open on the 99-year anniversary of the end of the war.
The exhibit will explore how propaganda posters created a modern way of signifying patriotism and the American people during the Great War. Posters and artifacts chosen from the museum’s history collection highlight the power of persuasion in representing important events, such as the sinking of the Lusitania, and appeals to groups then marginalized in American society. Textiles, buttons and other relics from the era will also help tell the story of the war at home.
“The Great War was fought overseas with swords and guns,” said Shirley Wajda, MSU Museum curator of history, who curated the exhibition. “The war at home was fought with words and images.”
There will be an opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, hours and directions to the museum, click here.