Weapons of War An Exhibit of the Army Service Forces Contrasting America’s War Equipment with that of the Axis [Grant Park, Chicago]

From the Factory to the Front, America Shows the Way!

This ephemeral pictorial brochure was designed and published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1944. That summer, the Army Service Forces held a large exhibition in Chicago’s Grant Park to showcase captured Axis armaments and contrast them with their Allied counterparts.

The primary image offers a stylized plan of the grounds, noting numerous participating groups like the Signal Corps, Chemical Warfare Service, Medical Department, and Quartermaster Corps. Small vignettes approximate many of the attractions, including weaponized vehicles, artillery pieces, hospital facilities, and engineering equipment. A large mock engagement (see the Combat Area on the far right), amphibious vehicle demonstrations from Lake Michigan, and weapons testing were provided to the captivated audience – both as a way to highlight American firepower and offer a small taste of the danger faced by soldiers overseas. Another objective of the event was to encourage participants to buy war bonds. A small reminder for the audience is printed in the lower right.

A similar map was designed and published for a second Army Service Forces exhibition, held in New York’s Central Park the month prior (June 11-24th). Both are ephemeral and uncommon in institutional collections, with the Chicago version noted only twice in WorldCat as of January 2025 (The Pritzker Military Museum and the University of Illinois). OCLC# 73269019.