The AFS Centenary: A Great Story and a Rich Archive

2010·2.4 MB·English

by  Bonnie Yochelson, Independent Curator

Intercultural
Programs
The AFS Centenary:
A
Great Story and a Rich Archive
BonnieYochelson, Independent Curator
WORLDWAR
I
Ihave prepared this very briefoverview ofAFS 127 died in service. When the U.S. entered the war in
history and its archive to facilitate our discussion of 1917, theAFS corps was absorbed by the U.S.Army
howto interpret the history oftheAFS on the occasion Ambulance Service.
ofits 2014 centenary. My thanks to Eleanora Golobic.
AFS archivist, who very generously gave me a couple Because AFS fundraising required itto document and
ofdays ofher time to begin to acquaint me with the publicize its mission, the archive is rich inbrochures,
archive. She and other staffmembers will help answer posters, and announcements.There is even a 1916
further questions at ourmeeting. AFS publicity- film. Afterthe war, theAFS formed an
active veteran's group, and the archive benefited from
Abram PiattAndrew,Jr., (1873-1936) founded donated diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, and other
theAmerican Field Service in 1914 at the outbreak memorabilia, including uniforms and medals.
ofWorldWar I. Funded privately withAmerican
donations,theAFS was run bytheAmerican Hospital An extantWWI ambulance was brought back from
in Paris and was based first in an unfinished high France to the U.S.. but theAFS donated it — and
school in the Paris suburbs and later in an elegant much else — to the Museum ofFranco-American
Parisian chateau. In 1915, it entered an agreement Cooperation at Blerancourt. There are several
with the French government to serve at the front, published accounts written byAFS drivers,who were
carrying the wounded by ambulance to hospitals. An well educated and came from privileged backgrounds.
AFS innovation was the use ofmotorized rather than The PBS documentary ModelT's toWar.American
horse-drawn vehicles; its fleet consisted ofModelT Ambulances on theWestern Front 1914-1918 (2009)
Fords, which were manufactured outside Paris. While made extensive use oftheAFS archive.
the United States government remained uncommitted
to the war in Europe, 2,500 American drivers worked
with the French armv in France and the Balkans, and
AFS Section 14 departure forthe front from the lower
gate of21, Rue Raynouard, Paris, March 1917
Ambulance drivers ofAFS Section
14, Paris, spring 1917
AFS driverwith Section 64 ambulances in theparkof
AFS headquarters, Paris, spring 1917
Zf^U
American Ambulance 1914=15=16
Lycee Pasleur, iNEUlLLV=s=Selne
TRANSPORTATION DIVISION
1^
A. PiattAndrew (right in helmet) with the French officers and Oliver
Perry at theheadquarters ofthe Section, Ippercourt,Verdun
Mrs.W.K.Vanderbilt and EdTinkham (SSU 3)
atAuberge St. Pierre,Verdun,August 1916
.5^3niewhere
franco
"Somewherein France,"recruitmentposter, ca. 1915
.
STRAND THEATRE
FRIDAY, DECEMBER
8th
AT
2.45 P. M.
GALA BENEFIT PERFORMANCE
FOR THE
American Ambulance
FielJ Service in France
Under the Management of Mr. Daniel Frohman
1 Overture, "1812," by the Strand Orchestra
2. Address by Mr. George Wharton Pepper
3. William Faversham-Recitation of a poem by Emory Pottle
4. Tableau Vivant of an American Ambulance, with men in uniform
who have served at the Front. (Posed by Victor Gerald White)
5. Miss Ruth Draper-"Vive la France"
6. MOe. Dor7ial-"LesSoldatsduFront Sont Si Beaux." bydeZamacoU
7. Film: "Our American Boys in die European War"
(Part I. Part II and Part III)
8. Film: "Our Aviators." (Part IV)
9. Mme. Sarah Bernhardt
U
10. Mme. Benza-" Marseillaise," with full Orchestra
Gala benefitwith showing offilm,"OurAmerican Boys in the European
War," StrandTheatre, NewYork, December 8, 1916
AFSbulletins
AFS Section 2 ambulance drivers atVerdun, 1916
AFS Section 4 ambulance serving the Poste de Secours
atBras aboveVerdun,August 1917
RobertW. Imbrie (SSU 1 & 3), canteen