Current Exhibitions
Forgotten Stories: South Carolina Fights the Great War
April 2007 marked the ninetieth anniversary of the United States’ entry into the Great War. In recognition of this, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum has partnered with six historical and educational institutions in Columbia to develop a multi-venue project (titled “Forward Together: South Carolina in World War I”) on the participation of South Carolina citizens during the First World War and its effects on the state. The partnership consists of Historic Columbia Foundation, McKissick Museum (USC), South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, South Carolina Educational Television Network, South Carolina State Museum, South Caroliniana Library (USC), with each location concentrating on a different aspect of the war. Visit the website for the exhibits at http://www.scforwardtogether.org/.
The SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum’s exhibit, “Forgotten Stories: South Carolina Fights the Great War,” focuses on the military history of the war, strategies used during it, and how the war is a part of South Carolina's military tradition. The exhibit themes examine various aspects of the war such as trench warfare, the use of artillery, the new use of airplanes, Medal of Honor winners from SC, and the forgotten story of the African-American 371st Infantry Regiment. The exhibit also highlights the often-overlooked Mexican Punitive Expedition and includes exciting visuals, such as life-like mannequins, a simulated trench, and interactive kiosks. This exhibit is displayed in the museum’s new, expanded gallery space in the renovated “cistern” area of the Columbia Mills Building.
ABOVE: 371st soldier mannequin
LEFT: "Forgotten Stories" exhibit gallery
RIGHT: Section of reproduction trench area