Order of Battle on the Western Front 11 A.M. November 11, 1918

Commemorating the American contribution to victory during World War I.

This scarce pictorial is a beautiful celebration of the American perspective of the end of the First World War. A map of the American Sector is the largest part of the composition, noting the disposition of forces of both Allied and Central Powers and the front line at the time the peace was signed. The Argonne Forest, site of the Meuse–Argonne offensive (in which the doughboys played a major role) is also highlighted.

Immediately adjacent is a (smaller) map of the entire Western Front, but the contributions by the Russians (who by then had signed a separate peace) on the Eastern Front are omitted entirely. An inset in the center left presents the principal French ports and railroad by which the A.E.F. entered the fight. A table of statistics emphasizes the numerical contributions of U.S. forces, but again fails to mention that the other allies had been fighting for four more years. Decorative elements such as unit insignia, illustrated vignettes, compasses roses, and an elaborate title cartouche (note the white cross) add to the spectacular visual appeal.

Published in New York by the Pri-Matic Art Company in 1918. The map is apparently quite rare – unlisted in OCLC and only one other market record found online. This example was donated by a WWI veteran to the Joliet, Illinois branch of the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars in 1949. An inscription on the back of the frame indicates the donor was also affiliated with the Argonne National Laboratory in nearby Lemont, IL.