Nurses and doctors at war

Top row: Nevada County's medical profession sent members to far-flung locations around the nation and the globe.

Bottom shelf: Nevada County's attics and garages provided a wealth of popular media from the time.

Actual exhibit in place

The graphic storyline consisted of five double-sided panels, supplemented by cases and wall displays sited throughout the government center.

3D model

The exhibit panels and cases had to fit into the lobby of the Nevada County without impeding circulation in and out of government offices. A 3D model of the space allowed for experimentation with different options.

The exhibit was created to bring to life the enormous impact of the First World War on  Nevada County, California. Nestled in the foothills of the Gold Country, Nevada County was at the time a remote, rural community with little contact with the outside world, apart from the foreign workers whose specialized skills were prized by local mine owners.

The county's peaceful isolation was upended by by the outbreak of war. Cornish miners were actively recruited for the armies of Great Britain. Increasing tensions led to violence, as German and Austrian miners were harassed and attacked in the streets. Then came America's long-delayed entry into the war and the exodus of young men into the army and young women into the nursing corps.  Civilian life at home was transformed as the federal government asserted powers hitherto unknown to manage the economy and bend it to the production of vital supplies and foodstuffs for the war effort.

California Educational Multimedia