ELDRED WWII MUSEUM
Supporting a Small Museum with a Big Mission
As World War II gradually slips from living memory, the importance of teaching the lessons of the 20th century’s most tragic event and preserving its history grows increasingly critical. This monumental challenge is the mission of the Eldred WWII Museum.
Located in the Northwestern Pennsylvania town of Eldred, the museum is a total gem that’s been blessed with a team of passionate staff and volunteers faithfully dedicated to serving this institution, approaching its mission with the same values as the WWII generation that came before them. The community itself contributed to the war effort in a big way – its citizens tirelessly operated a munitions plant to produce explosive ordnance first for British and Commonwealth forces in early 1941, then later for the U.S. military after the Pearl Harbor attack.
Two decades after leaving the museum to pursue a career in graphic design, I warmly welcomed the opportunity to rekindle a mutually beneficial professional partnership.
Museum Speaker Series
Deliverables: Posters, Event Cards
The Heritage Project
Deliverables: Content creation, layout design, illustration
The museum received a grant in 2024 to enhance a handful of exhibitions that focused specifically on regional WWII heritage. One component of that effort was the development of an educational brochure outlining local impact on the Allied war effort, centered primarily on the operation of the National Munitions Company between 1941 and 1945.
This component provided the unique opportunity for me to design AND write the brochure’s content, resulting in onsite visits to the museum’s archive to perform historical research and gain exclusive access to the museum’s collection to gather visual assets and examine various pieces of ordnance to create an illustration of National Munitions Company’s wartime products.
Mapping the Final Solution
Deliverables: Historical research, map illustration
2023 saw extensive efforts dedicated to enhancing the museum’s Holocaust education programming and exhibit gallery. I was recruited to execute the defining design element for both efforts – a comprehensive map outlining the vast concentration camp network and transportation infrastructure of the Third Reich.
A monumental task, this endeavor required deep research into an extraordinarily dark subject. First, I used modern digital methods to accurately plot the locations of major camps, ghettos, and smaller subcamps. I then gathered historical maps from the 1940’s to determine political borders, and numerous tourist maps from the late 1930’s to accurately trace the critical rail infrastructure of this region. Once the major documented deportation routes were represented by arrows to show the movement of people, these various connected components combined to tell a chilling story.
Bomb Lady
Deliverables: Illustration, merch development
It was common practice for wartime fighter pilots and bomber crews to paint pinup girls on the noses of their aircraft. In the spirit of wartime “nose art,” the Museum commissioned me to create a custom pinup of their own as a tribute to local munitions plant workers and assembly line inspectors. This illustration is featured on several popular gift shop items including the iconic Zippo lighter, manufactured just miles away in Bradford, PA.
Shirts & Merch
Who doesn’t love a good museum gift shop? I worked with the museum to provide various concepts and logo adaptations to keep the Museum store stocked with fresh merch…perfect for raising funds and helping visitors look stylish while visiting WWII battle sites.
