1944 U.S. Army Weapons of War Map of the Great Lawn, Central Park

A curious 1944 pamphlet and map for the Army Service Forces 'Weapons of War' exhibit in New York City's Central Park. The show, set up on the Great Lawn just north of the 86th Street Transverse, was intended to drive the purchase of War Bonds and popularize the war effort. It was initially intended to run from June 11 to the 24th, but proved so popular, drawing some 600,000 visitors, that it was extended an extra day to the 25th before moving to Chicago. The highlight was a 'spectacular sham battle' put on by the Fighting Quartermaster's Corps.

This pamphlet consists of two sides, as shown here. The front, printed in red, features a graphic cover claiming that it will contrast 'America's War Equipment with that of the Axis.' The verso or centerfold features a map oriented to the northwest depicting the Great Lawn, or the Oval, in Central Park, with the locations of various exhibits shown pictorially. These exhibit and the overall layout, as seen here was designed by Russel G. Matthews, a civilian consultant for the Quartermaster's Corps.