'Material Culture of War' series marks 100th anniversary of start of World War I

8:53 a.m., Aug. 26, 2014--On the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, the University of Delaware’s Center for Material Culture Studies will offer a series of talks on the topic “The Material Culture of War” through the fall semester.

Talks will be held on Wednesdays, beginning Aug. 27, from 12:30-1:10 p.m. in Room 222 of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory (ISE Lab).

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June 5: Blue Hen 5K

University of Delaware graduates planning to attend Alumni Weekend are encouraged to register for the annual Blue Hen 5K walk and run, which will be held Sunday morning, June 5.

June 6-9: Food and culture series

The 20th annual June Lecture Series at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UD in Wilmington will be held June 6-9. Titled 'June a la Carte,' this year's program focuses on great political documents, feminism, world politics and a Newark cuisine sampler.

• June 6-9: Food and culture series
• Through June 30: 'Saving White Clay Creek'
• July 22: WWE Heatwave Tour
• Through Sept. 16: Women of color in academia

The talks make up a one-credit class (MCST299-010) but they also are free and open to members of the public, who may attend one or more lectures. 

The series will feature talks by faculty, advanced graduate students, and experts from the community provides interdisciplinary perspectives on people and objects during times of armed conflict, declared or not, on the battlefield and on the home front. 

Topics range widely and include images of war in photographs and other media, health and technology in the organized violence of war, design measures that accommodate those injured during war, victory gardens, uniforms, armor, generals, foot soldiers, bombs, what’s destroyed, what survives. 

The schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday, Aug. 27: “Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Violet Oakley’s ‘The Angel of Victory 1941’.” Jeff Richmond-Moll, doctoral student, Department of Art History.
• Wednesday, Sept. 3: “What Can Re-enactors Teach Us about War?” Tyler Putman, doctoral student, Department of History.
• Wednesday, Sept. 10: “Gardening For Victory: World War II's Backyard War Plants.” Anastasia Day, doctoral student, Department of History.
• Wednesday, Sept. 17: “Organized Violence in Civil War America.” Ritchie Garrison, professor and director, Winterthur Program in American Material Culture.
• Wednesday, Sept. 24: “War in the Age of the Supercomputer.” Mark Bowden, instructor, Department of English. 
• Wednesday, Oct. 1: “Destroying Chemical Bombs.” Michael Knudsen, chemical weapons specialist, Aberdeen Proving Ground.
• Wednesday, Oct. 8: Tour of University Museums’ exhibit on World War I. Craig Lee, doctoral student, Department of Art History.
• Wednesday, Oct. 15: “Churchill 1914-1918: A Literary Artist at War.” Ray Callahan, professor emeritus, Department of History.
• Wednesday, Oct. 22: “Killing the King: Art, Iconoclasm, and War.” Wendy Bellion, associate professor, Department of Art History.
• Wednesday, Oct. 29: “Tom Lamb, The Handle Man.” Lynn Catanese, curator, Hagley Museum and Library.
• Wednesday, Nov. 5: “Collecting Vietnam: A Combat Photographers Journey.” Bill Deering, assistant professor, Department of Art.
• Wednesday, Nov. 12: “The Hunting Shirt: A Revolutionary Uniform.” Neal Hurst, Museum of the American Revolution 
• Wednesday, Nov. 19: “Painting and War.” Lance Winn, associate professor, Department of Art.
• Wednesday, Nov. 26: No class.
• Wednesday, Dec. 3: “World War I for Girls: Material Culture in Young Adult Fiction.” Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women's Studies and professor of humanities.