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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