As the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I in 1917 approaches, Kauffman Museum is working to tell a less well known piece of that history.
Rachel Pannabecker ’80, left, and Jim Juhnke ’62 are collaborating on the Kauffman Museum exhibit in process, “Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War.”And the museum needs your help in gathering artifacts for the new exhibit.
“Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War” is a traveling exhibit now in development that will explore the stories of resisters and the suffering they experienced at the hands of a war-crusading American public.
“This exhibit lifts up the prophetic insights and personal courage of World War I peace protesters, and suggests parallels to the culture of war and violence in our world today,” said Kauffman Museum Director Annette LeZotte.
The museum is seeking letters, photographs, documents and artifacts that will assist in the telling of this important story, and will accept both donations and long-term loans.
“The unique situation of World War I conscientious objectors resulted in different types of artifacts and remembrances being saved by their families,” LeZotte said. “They rejected uniforms and medals and weapons, which are the types of objects commonly displayed by museums in exhibits about World War I.
“The artifacts of conscientious objectors’ war experiences are their stories and witness, which may be preserved in unique ways. We just don’t know what’s out there.”
More information on “Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War” is available on the museum website.
If you have an artifact to share, contact Annette LeZotte at Kauffman Museum, 316-283-1612, or alezotte@bethelks.edu.