AN EXHIBITION OF REMARKABLE WWI-ERA PHOTOS AND FILM FOOTAGE FROM 1917 TO 1924: France Besieged During World War I and the American Women Volunteers Who Came to the Country's Aid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY, AUGUST 17 2015 UPDATE—On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI, the American Friends of Blérancourt and Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency have teamed up to promote the Franco-American Museum at the Château de Blérancourt and publicize the traveling exhibition of the photographs of "Anne Morgan’s War" that come from the museum’s extensive collections. The exhibition's next stop is at the Coral Gables Museum from September 10 to November 28, 2015.
AMERICAN WOMEN REBUILDING FRANCE, 1917-1924, the exhibition from the Anne Morgan Archives of the Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt, France is currently touring the U.S. with the support of American Friends of Blérancourt and the Florence Gould Foundation. It consists of reproductions of WWI-era photographs and rare silent film footage that bring to life the extraordinary work undertaken between 1917 and 1924 by 350 American women—all volunteers—who left comfortable lives in the United States to help the war-ravaged civilian population in Picardy, in northeastern France. The dynamic leader of this effort was Anne Morgan, daughter of financier J. Pierpont Morgan. A “modern woman” well ahead of her time, Anne Morgan commissioned professional photographers to document the devastation in France: their work, which is shown here, was used in fundraising for the war efforts and for stimulating volunteerism. Anne Morgan went on to found the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD), which was focused on reconstruction. The volunteers helped with agriculture, livestock, educating the children, teaching families home economics and actual re-building of war-torn areas. This special traveling exhibition originated at the National WWI Museum in Kansas City in 2010, and was then displayed at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. Since then numerous cultural centers, galleries, historical societies and libraries in various American cities--most recently in Indianapolis and Chicago, have shown the exhibition and many more have scheduled it for the next few years. During this WWI Centennial year, commemorations of the “Great War” are taking place nationwide, enabling Americans to better understand its profound significance to this day. “AMERICAN WOMEN REBUILDING FRANCE” powerfully shows this in real human terms.
The dedicated website us.rendezvousenfrance.com/blerancourt created by the American Friends of Blérancourt and Atout France to publicize the exhibition, provides updates, showcases the role of Anne Morgan in WWI and familiarizes the traveling public with the Franco-American Museum at the Château de Blérancourt in Picardy, France. Visit the dedicated website for exhibition updates for 2016.
In cooperation with the WWI Centennial Association, Atout France has also created a mini-site dedicated to the the Great War 1914 to 1918 to update the public on upcoming events, commemorations and new memorials for 2016 and 2017—the year that the United States entered the war and that Anne Morgan began her work in Picardy, France. Visit us.rendezvousenfrance.com/en/wwi-centennial
For updates on events and information on the exhibition follow #AnneMorgansWarand for information WWI and other commemorations follow #Franceremembers
THE FRANCO-AMERICAN MUSEUM AT BLERANCOURT is a unique national French museum located in Picardy, a region in northeastern France. It was created in 1931 out of the destruction of World War I and the triumph of French-American solidarity. Its founder: Anne Morgan, a daughter of the well-known financier J.P. Morgan. Anne Morgan spearheaded aid and later reconstruction efforts in the region, and remained in the area. In addition, it is the only museum dedicated to French-American relations. From the beginning the museum was the repository of one-of-a-kind historical documents attesting to this special relationship. Furthermore, the Franco-American Museum has also kept acquiring artwork by great artists focused either on French painters who chose American subjects or Americans who were trained or inspired by France. Thanks in part to the American Friends of Blérancourt’s success in fundraising, the Museum has been able to expand in size, adding sumptuous gardens and a brand new wing which now includes an educational component, and will reopen in the fall of 2016.
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BLERANCOURT (AFB) is an American philanthropic group based in New York with an office in Paris. It was created in 1985 at the suggestion of the director at that time of the Louvre Museum (Pierre Rosenberg) to raise funds for the expansion, the gardens, and the new educational programs and technology of the French-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt in Picardy. The founder and chairman, Baroness Bernard d’Anglejan-Chatillon, and president, Madame Jean-Paul Anglès, have worked with a motivated membership to expand and make known a unique museum that celebrates four centuries of French-American friendship. Among AFB’s activities are trips that include visits to private art collections, chateaux and gardens, an annual gala dinner, a traveling exhibition of historic photos and film culled from the Museum’s archives and a student exchange program. Donors of AFB are people who are particularly interested in French-American relations, diplomatic relations between the two countries and how they are managed. Many have broad cultural interests as well, being captivated by France and its rich cultural heritage and its museums—or simply those who enjoy being part of large-scale projects that honor the idea of individuals making a difference, our two peoples and our shared history.
ATOUT FRANCE
Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency, is the sole national organization responsible for the development and promotion of tourism to France. As an association of public and private interests, Atout France is charged with supporting tourism to France and assisting its partners internationally through its network of 35 offices in 32 countries. Atout France is also responsible for assisting regions, counties, towns and cities in the development and modernization of their tourism assets, as well as for administering France’s new hotel rating system. For more information on France, visit the official Atout France website in the United States: http://us.rendezvousenfrance.com
WWI CENTENNIAL ASSOCIATION
WWI Centennial Association, a member of Atout France, has been instrumental in organizing since 2014 a series of cultural events to commemorate the war of 14-18, including exhibitions, audiovisual productions, publications and educational activities. Around 2,000 events throughout France have been awarded the “Centenary” label, forming the country’s official Centenary program. The special section of the mini-site "The Centenary in the U.S." features "American Women Rebuilding France." A new section will soon feature descriptions of American memorials and military cemeteries and suggested itineraries - us.rendezvousenfrance.com/en/wwi-centennial.
This exhibition from the Franco-American Museum is made possible through the support of: The American Friends of Blérancourt, La Délégation des Alliances Françaises USA, The Federation of the Alliance Française USA, The Florence Gould Foundation, The French Ministry of Culture and Communication and the RMN Agence Photographique de France
