Snapshots from the Great War: American Astronomers in Belgium, 1919

press release: Lecture by James M. Lattis, UW Space Place & Anthony J. Lattis, UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies

The founding of the International Astronomical Union took place 100 years ago in war-ravaged Belgium, and there was a considerable Wisconsin presence at that event. Recently discovered photographs from the UW Archives illuminate not only the experiences of the Wisconsin astronomers at the international conference but also provide insight into how the recent war itself was seen by battlefield tourists.