The Pritzker Military Library

                The Pritzker Military Library, the only like it in the U.S., contains an extensive collection of military related reading material, historical artifacts, and has housed several war-related exhibitions. Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of the Associated Press is an impressive display of WWII photographs from the war and home front. As a traveling exhibit, the library contains 108 of the 120 photographs, all of which are black and white. Though some of the photos weren’t printed to be perfect quality, they are meant to serve as documentation of important historical events.

                Viewers move through the exhibit based on the layout of the library and wherever the pictures were able to be hung. The images are in no particular order, but they shouldn’t be, as they are individually significant. Some are familiar American images, like Sailor and Nurse Kiss Times Square and Mt. Suribachi Flag Raising. Numerous others portray more horrific, extremely candid events, like Warsaw Jews Rounded Up at Gunpoint and various warfare images from Pearl Harbor and D-Day. This fascinating collection depicts rare close-ups of leaders, casualties, and soldiers. Some of the photographers risked their lives to capture these pieces of history. This is clearly reflected in the images on the battlegrounds, in military aircraft, and among the chaos that ensued after major events. Photographers as dedicated to their craft as wartime photojournalists are important in enlightening people about what happened in the past. Without their graphic images and their courage, we wouldn’t be able to get a true glimpse of the effects the war had on America and the rest of the world.

                The library’s permanent exhibits include a display of medals, badges, books, and weapons arranged by different branches of the military, as well as various Medals of Honor. The Medal of Honor exhibit is quite moving, as the stories of their noble recipients are told through both video and writing. The library’s exhibits are all informative and educational, but they also honor the courageous men and women that partook in the war effort.