[World War I] [Chemical Warfare]

The Edgewood Arsenal, Edgewood, Md. [cover title]

[Edgewood]: [Enlisted Men of Edgewood Arsenal], [1919]. Black and white photographs. Softcover. Oblong quarto. 158 pages. Good. Printed tan covers tied with blue and yellow cords over a side-stapled binding. Covers have some edge tears, wear, and wrinkles. Lower fore corner of textblock is bumped. One panoramic fold-out lacks its outermost panel.

A fascinating and well-illustrated look at the U.S. production of chemical weapons for World War I. Numerous photographs showing the production shell-filling facilities, some in fold-out panoramas. Introductory text argues in favor of the use of poison gas in warfare on the basis of its relative humaneness.

Edgewood Arsenal was established in 1917, located in the Edgewood area of the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County, Maryland. There are several panoramas of various battalions stationed at Edgewood, including at least two African American units.

This publication was published in March 1919 as Vol. 1, No. 5 (and final) of The Chemical Warfare, which was a monthly magazine produced by the enlisted men of Edgewood Arsenal and has a commemorative vibe about it. Over 150 pages, including a great many advertisements related to the work of producing chemical weapons.

Item #683

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