“Trench art” refers to decorated objects, souvenirs, or mementos made by soldiers, civilians, or prisoners of war during World War I. Many examples of trench art were crafted by soldiers in exchange for food, cigarettes, or money; others were made by the wounded and convalescent in hospitals. Objects commonly used to make trench art were artillery shell fragments and casings, enemy helmets, and military uniform buttons. Shell fragments were often painted or embossed and used as vases. Jewelry such as lockets and rings were fashioned from aluminum cans. Wood from airplane propellers was used to carve clocks and picture frames.
Prisoners of war produced a number of decorative artifacts for sale to the soldiers and civilians living near the internment camps. Items like matchbox covers, cigarette cases, and lighters were purchased by the prisoners of war captors. Other objects such as wallets, napkin rings, and painted boxes were sent home to family members as souvenirs. For the most part, trench art pieces bear no signature or maker’s mark. Even today, the identity of these anonymous artisans remains a mystery.
The Rosenberg Library has several examples of trench art from World War I in its museum collection. These include two brass cigarette lighters, a model submarine made from shell cartridges, a letter opener decorated with a copper pfennig (German coin), and an ashtray featuring a miniature Prussian helmet called a “pickelhaube.”
