Museum of World War II
Encyclopedia
The Museum of World War II is a private museum devoted to World War II
located in Natick, Massachusetts
, a few miles west of Boston
. Visits to the museum are arranged several days each week by appointment.
Formed over a period of more than 50 years by its founder, Kenneth W. Rendell
, the museum's collections document in detail the events of the war, from the signing of the Versailles Treaty, which ended World War I
, to the Nuremberg
and Tokyo war crimes trials
, which brought the Second World War to its close. His goal is to preserve the history of World War II and to provide an educational experience.
On display are over 6,000 artifacts as well 83 mannequins outfitted in complete uniforms and military equipment. The collections include highly important wartime letters, documents, and manuscripts of all the major political and military leaders, as well as the papers of officers and soldiers of all ranks, concentration camp inmates, and civilians. Adolf Hitler
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Sir Winston Churchill
, Dwight D. Eisenhower
, George S. Patton
, Bernard Montgomery, Joseph Stalin
, Erwin Rommel
, Benito Mussolini
, Joseph Mengele, Adolf Eichmann
, Raoul Wallenberg
, and Anne Frank
's family are all represented in original letters.
It has been described by London's Imperial War Museum
as "a fully staffed private collection containing the most comprehensive display of original World War II artifacts on exhibit anywhere in the world." Rendell has commented, "If a visitor is overwhelmed with the enormity and the complexity of the war, I have achieved my goal."
with his notations as well as Neville Chamberlain
's; the first message alerting the armed forces of the attack on Pearl Harbor
; General Patton's letter to the Sultan of Morocco announcing the American landings and threats of destruction; Montgomery's address to the troops before El Alamein
; Patton's annotated map for the invasion of Sicily; the complete plans for the D-Day
invasion in Normandy
; and Douglas MacArthur
's draft of the Japanese surrender terms.
Among the significant artifacts are Hitler's SA (Sturm Abteilung or Storm Trooper) shirt; his first sketch for the Nazi flag; his reading glasses; Patton's battle helmet; Montgomery's beret; and copies of Mein Kampf
(My Struggle/My Battle) belonging to Hitler, President Roosevelt, and General Patton. There are also five different Enigma code machines, including the ten-rotor T-52
, of which only five are extant; an American Sherman tank from the North African campaign
, a German Kubelwagen, a German Goliath tank
from Normandy, and one of the very few surviving original landing craft (LCVP
) from the Pacific.
The Collections, which are arranged chronologically and geographically, include artifacts, manuscript and printed material in the following areas:
Propaganda leaflets dropped by planes over Europe
and the Pacific
(these number over 10,000).
Black propaganda material includes forged currency, postage stamps, newspapers, official army discharge documents, and identity papers, as well as fake ration stamps.
A Frenchman's collection of newspapers, handbills, posters, documents, leaflets, and other printed pieces documenting the French Resistance.
Printed material documenting the Russian Invasion includes German plans to strip Russia of its natural resources, a complete set of the invasion maps and booklets, and bombing and artillery target maps.
Diaries of Prisoners of War written on cigarette paper and other available materials, from both Japanese and German camps stress the boredom and longing for home.
The archive of Douglas MacArthur's Chief of Staff for Public Relations document his life and actions, from the time of the Japanese air raid on Manila the day after Pearl Harbor to the evacuation from Corregidor
, and the return to the Philippines
and the Japanese surrender.
The D-Day papers reflect on the Normandy Invasion.
; West Point; Museum of Our National Heritage; Grolier Club
, New York; University of Southern California
; the Newseum
, Washington, D.C.; the Supreme Court of the United States
; the National D-Day Museum, New Orleans; all the Presidential Libraries
. Manuscripts and artifacts from the museum have also been illustrated in books and articles, and the museum has been used in documentaries.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
located in Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
, a few miles west of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Visits to the museum are arranged several days each week by appointment.
Formed over a period of more than 50 years by its founder, Kenneth W. Rendell
Kenneth W. Rendell
Kenneth W. Rendell is an American dealer and expert in historical letters, manuscripts, and documents. He is president of Kenneth W. Rendell, Inc., in South Natick, Massachusetts, and the Kenneth W. Rendell Gallery in New York City. Rendell is also founder of the Museum of World War II in...
, the museum's collections document in detail the events of the war, from the signing of the Versailles Treaty, which ended World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, to the Nuremberg
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
and Tokyo war crimes trials
International Military Tribunal for the Far East
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East , also known as the Tokyo Trials, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, or simply the Tribunal, was convened on April 29, 1946, to try the leaders of the Empire of Japan for three types of crimes: "Class A" crimes were reserved for those who...
, which brought the Second World War to its close. His goal is to preserve the history of World War II and to provide an educational experience.
On display are over 6,000 artifacts as well 83 mannequins outfitted in complete uniforms and military equipment. The collections include highly important wartime letters, documents, and manuscripts of all the major political and military leaders, as well as the papers of officers and soldiers of all ranks, concentration camp inmates, and civilians. Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
, Bernard Montgomery, Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
, Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, Joseph Mengele, Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
, Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman, diplomat and humanitarian. He is widely celebrated for his successful efforts to rescue thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary from the Holocaust, during the later stages of World War II...
, and Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
's family are all represented in original letters.
It has been described by London's Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
as "a fully staffed private collection containing the most comprehensive display of original World War II artifacts on exhibit anywhere in the world." Rendell has commented, "If a visitor is overwhelmed with the enormity and the complexity of the war, I have achieved my goal."
Highlights
Documents and manuscripts of particular importance include Hitler's draft of the Munich AgreementMunich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
with his notations as well as Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
's; the first message alerting the armed forces of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
; General Patton's letter to the Sultan of Morocco announcing the American landings and threats of destruction; Montgomery's address to the troops before El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
; Patton's annotated map for the invasion of Sicily; the complete plans for the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasion in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
; and Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
's draft of the Japanese surrender terms.
Among the significant artifacts are Hitler's SA (Sturm Abteilung or Storm Trooper) shirt; his first sketch for the Nazi flag; his reading glasses; Patton's battle helmet; Montgomery's beret; and copies of Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
(My Struggle/My Battle) belonging to Hitler, President Roosevelt, and General Patton. There are also five different Enigma code machines, including the ten-rotor T-52
Siemens and Halske T52
The Siemens and Halske T52, also known as the Geheimfernschreiber , or Schlüsselfernschreibmaschine , was a World War II German teleprinter cipher machine...
, of which only five are extant; an American Sherman tank from the North African campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, a German Kubelwagen, a German Goliath tank
Goliath tracked mine
The Goliath tracked mine - complete German name: Leichter Ladungsträger Goliath - was a remote controlled German-engineered demolition vehicle, also known as the beetle tank to Allies....
from Normandy, and one of the very few surviving original landing craft (LCVP
LCVP
The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings in World War II. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, United States, based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes...
) from the Pacific.
The Collections, which are arranged chronologically and geographically, include artifacts, manuscript and printed material in the following areas:
- GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the Interwar PeriodInterwar periodInterwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe.... - Adolf Hitler and the Rise of Nazism
- The German MilitaryWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
- The Munich Agreement and the Fall of France
- Winston Churchill
- The Battle of BritainBattle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
- The Resistance MovementResistance during World War IIResistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
- Occupied Europe
- The Holocaust
- Pearl Harbor and the American Home FrontUnited States home front during World War IIThis page, United States home front during World War II, covers the developments within the United States, 1940–1945, to support its efforts during World War II.-Economics:...
- The U.S. War Effort
- The Italian FrontItalian Campaign (World War II)The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
- The Russian FrontEastern Front (World War II)The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
- D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy
- The Rising Sun and the Aggression in the Far East
- The Pacific FrontPacific WarThe Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
- Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo JimaThe Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
- Prisoners of War
- Everybody's War
- German Collapse and Surrender
- The Atomic BombAtomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiDuring the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
- The Nuremberg War Trials
- The Surrender of Japan
- The Tokyo War Trials
- Cold War EspionageCold War espionageCold War espionage describes the intelligence gathering activities during the Cold War between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Because each side was preparing to fight the other, intelligence on the opposing side's intentions, military, and technology was of paramount importance. To gather this...
Archives
The Museum's archival collections include manuscript and printed material as well over 20,000 photographs and about 750 photograph albums that document and give insight into military and civilian life and activities during World War II.Propaganda leaflets dropped by planes over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
(these number over 10,000).
Black propaganda material includes forged currency, postage stamps, newspapers, official army discharge documents, and identity papers, as well as fake ration stamps.
A Frenchman's collection of newspapers, handbills, posters, documents, leaflets, and other printed pieces documenting the French Resistance.
Printed material documenting the Russian Invasion includes German plans to strip Russia of its natural resources, a complete set of the invasion maps and booklets, and bombing and artillery target maps.
Diaries of Prisoners of War written on cigarette paper and other available materials, from both Japanese and German camps stress the boredom and longing for home.
The archive of Douglas MacArthur's Chief of Staff for Public Relations document his life and actions, from the time of the Japanese air raid on Manila the day after Pearl Harbor to the evacuation from Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
, and the return to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and the Japanese surrender.
The D-Day papers reflect on the Normandy Invasion.
Exhibitions
Manuscripts and artifacts from the collection have been exhibited at the Imperial War Museum, London; National ArchivesNational Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
; West Point; Museum of Our National Heritage; Grolier Club
Grolier Club
The Grolier Club is a private club and society of bibliophiles in New York City. Founded in January 1884, it is the oldest existing bibliophilic club in North America. The club is named after Jean Grolier de Servières, Viscount d'Aguisy, Treasurer General of France, whose library was famous; his...
, New York; University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
; the Newseum
Newseum
The Newseum is an interactive museum of news and journalism located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. The seven-level, museum features 15 theaters and 14 galleries. The Newseum's Berlin Wall Gallery includes the largest display of sections of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany...
, Washington, D.C.; the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
; the National D-Day Museum, New Orleans; all the Presidential Libraries
Presidential library
In the United States, the Presidential library system is a nationwide network of 13 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration...
. Manuscripts and artifacts from the museum have also been illustrated in books and articles, and the museum has been used in documentaries.
Related writings
- With Weapons and Wits: Propaganda and Psychological Warfare in World War II. Privately published, 1992.
- "The Real World War II: Fear On the Home Front, Terror on the Front Lines." American Enterprise Institute, 2002.
- The World War II Collectors Vault. Whitman Publishing, 2009.