Some of the Museum & Library's most valuable and rare items are part of larger donated collections. Learn more about these exciting collections and the generous donors who entrusted us with their safekeeping.
Johannes Hendrik Ludvig Haff was born March 12, 1866, in Copenhagen, Denmark to Lars and Charlotta (née Trolle) Haff. In April 1880, Haff served as a “boy” on the Bark Esperanse out of Copenhagen, making stops in the Baltic Sea and in the English Channel. He then served in the Danish Navy, possibly on either or both the Fyen 1885 and 1886.
From April to October 1945, Vann was stationed in Guam and served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. During his tour he served as a 1st Lieutenant on a B-29 Superfortress in the 29th Bomb Group of the 43rd Bomb Squadron with the 20th Air Force, and completed 28 missions with over 400 combat hours.
The Jack V. Sewell collection consists of personal correspondence, official documents and papers, ephemera, awards, scrapbooks, and photographs related to Jack V. Sewell during his service as a photo interpreter for the 131 Photographic Interpreter Team of the U.S. Army during World War II.
World War II veteran Hershel "Woody" Williams—who valiantly served with the 3rd Marine Division at the Battle of Iwo Jima—has contributed many unique items to the Museum & Library's collection, including his original Medal of Honor and citation.
Donated by the estate of lifelong WWII aviation enthusiast Charles Metz, this collection consists of more than 2,500 books on military airplanes, air warfare, and aviation history and 1,800 airplane models, most of which are still in their original packaging.
The Kane Collection features uniforms, medals, flags, and personal papers related to the service of the WWII veteran and former commander of the Illinois National Guard's 33rd Infantry Division.
The Harder Collection includes books, maps, photographs, personal papers, and a shipping cap from a Mark 82 bomb — all related to the service of the former U.S. Air Force Captain and Vietnam War bombardier.
In an effort to assemble the largest private collection of books and artifacts related to the U.S. Marine Corps, longtime Marine Robert Peithman accumulated and later donated an impressive assortment of books, photographs, artifacts, and personal papers.
A gift of Major General William P. Levine—a World War II veteran who saw extensive combat in the war's European Theater—this impressive collection includes the military records, photographs, letters, plaques, and other items related to the service of Major General Levine.
Donated by the family of Korean War veteran Norman Kuperman in 2011, this collection includes approximately 400 books on American and European military history from the Civil War (1861-1865) to the present.
Dr. James Wengert, a psychiatrist and former U.S. Navy Flight Surgeon, is the author of books on General George Custer, the Frontier Army, and military medicine, and is a donor of more than 300 books on similar subjects.
Brig. Gen. Henry J. Reilly was a graduate of West Point and served in World War I. The Henry J. Reilly Memorial Library contains roughly 1,500 volumes collected by Brig. Gen. Reilly during his lifetime.
Items from the Holabird Family Collection at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on the service of WWII veteran John A. Holabird.
Historian, author, and Indiana University Professor Michael Parrish bestowed upon the PMML a collection of more than 2000 books on Soviet military history, most in their original Russian, Czech, or Polish.
Donated by the estate of sociologist and Northwestern University professor Charlie Moskos, this collection includes approximately 1,500 books and films on recruiting, women's issues, minorities, and the LGBT community in the military.
The Lt. Sollie Kaplan Collection consists of records related to Lt. Kaplan’s service in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Kaplan enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 7, 1942. Kaplan served with the Air Corps in Southampton, England and Paris, France as an Administrative Officer and Adjutant in the Transportation Corps.
Maj. Gen. Harry H. Bandholtz's collection includes large book collection, which contains works on the Philippines, the Spanish American War, and Army training manuals.
Robin David Stewart Higham (20 June 1925 in London – 27 August 2015 in Manhattan, Kansas) was a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II and an American historian, specializing in aerospace and military history. During his career, Higham served on the faculty at the University of Kansas in its history department and served as editor of several journals: The Journal of Military History (from 1968 to 1988), Aerospace Historian (from 1970 to 1988), and Journal of the West (beginning in 1976). In November 2016, the family gave the Museum & Library his books and papers on aviation and military history.
Norman E. Harms served in the Air Force, worked as an engineer in California, wrote military history, and owned the military miniatures company Scale Specialties. His collection consists of roughly 6,000 books and his personal papers. Highlights include numerous books on ships, planes, and tanks as well as rare unit histories from WWII and the Korean War.
First Lieutenant Gerald J. Miller served as a P-51 Mustang Fighter Pilot. He flew twenty-two combat missions over Germany and Czechoslovakia with the 351st Fighter Squadron from February 1945 to April 1945. He also flew food drops in Holland in May 1945. He was an avid student of aviation history and was committed to the preservation of the records of those who served in the Eighth Air Force during WWII. The family gave the Museum & Library his books.