Exhibits Archive

“Operation Hope Not”: The State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill (January-April)

Winston Churchill died, at age 90, on January 24, 1965, putting into motion a meticulous plan for an historic State Funeral. The plan, which had been started more than a decade earlier, was code-named “Operation Hope Not” and was decreed by Queen Elizabeth II to be “on a scale befitting his position in history.” This exhibition examines Sir Winston’s State Funeral, the largest in British history at the time, and the private internment for family at the Church at Bladon in Oxfordshire. It includes a series of rarely exhibited oil paintings by Churchill’s nephew, John Spencer-Churchill, and archival material from the Museum’s holdings along with material on loan from the Collection of Phillip and Susan Larson.

All Conquering, Undefeatable: Major General Harry Hawkins Vaughan (April 2023 - March 2024)

Harry Hawkins Vaughan was born on November 26, 1893, in Glasgow, Missouri. In 1916, he graduated from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. With the United States' entry into WWI, Vaughan was commissioned second lieutenant in the Field Artillery and was assigned for military training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During training, Vaughan befriended another officer, future U.S. President Harry S. Truman. They were both assigned to the 129th Field Artillery Regiment within the 35th Division and sent to France. After serving overseas, Truman made him the first vice presidential military aide in 1945; he continued as military aide to the president when Truman succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt, and remained in the post until the end of Truman's presidency in 1953. It was through Vaughan that Truman signed Westminster College's invitation to Winston Churchill in 1945, sealing the deal on the lecture that would be known as the Iron Curtain Speech.

The Museum Studies Collections and Archives class has worked with ANCM to curate this exhibit on the vast life and career of Vaughan. Drawing from the Museum's collection of objects and archives donated by Vaughan and his family, the exhibit highlights the power of his position, his noteworthy cohort, and his highly acclaimed military career.

The Four Freedoms: Real and Imagined (April 2023 - July 2024)

In the January 1941 State of the Union Address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt identified "Four Freedoms," essential human rights that should be universally protected: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. American artist Norman Rockwell later illustrated these rights as aspects of daily American life. Rockwell's paintings were mass-produced on magazine covers and propaganda posters to promote the war effort, becoming the face of the Four Freedoms.

The Four Freedoms: Real and Imagined explores and contextualizes the Four Freedoms by comparing the ideals depicted by Rockwell with people's lived experiences in the United States during World War II. You're invited to step into a recreation of the dining room in Rockwell's iconic Freedom from Want image and re-imagine the scene.

This exhibition was conceived, curated, and installed by Westminster College Museum Studies students. It is made possible, in part, by the Anson Cutts Gallery Fund for America's National Churchill Museum.

Holiday in the Trenches (December 2022 - January 2023)

An immersive display, Holiday in the Trenches examined the experience of Allied soldiers during the Second World War. Witness history from the front lines and explore the poignant and bittersweet feeling of celebrating the holidays far from home. This exhibition was researched, curated, and installed by Westminster College's Museum Studies students.

Highlights from the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Collection (October 2022 - May 2024)

This exhibition includes selected items from the collection of Churchill Fellows Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout of Wisconsin. A recent gift to the Museum, The Trout Collection includes sculptures by Oscar Nemon, works by Sarah Churchill, and other items related to the life and legacy of Winston Churchill assembled over the course of several decades.

Daughterly Knowledge: Mary Soames, Winston Churchill, and America's National Churchill Museum (October-December)

In honor of Mary Soames, the daughter of Clementine and Winston Churchill, longtime member of the Board of Governors of the Association of the Churchill Fellows of Westminster College, and Patron of the International Churchill Society.

Queen Elizabeth II, A Royal Legacy (September-October)

In memory of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). Items from the Museum's permanent collection including photographs signed by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, images of then Princess Elizabeth with Winston Churchill on VE-Day (May 8, 1945), a chair from the Queen's coronation in 1952, a shawl in Balmoral Plaid made for the 1937 Coronation of the Queen's father, King George VI, and items given to America's National Churchill Museum from King Charles III and the Queen Mother.

Winston Churchill: A Passion for Painting (July-still on view)

A Passion for Painting brings together in one gallery for the first time all five of Churchill’s paintings and three drawings in the collection of, or on long-term loan to, America's National Churchill Museum. 

Recent Acquisitions (October-February 2021)

From original oil paintings by Winston Churchill, to sculptures, letters and photographs, this exhibition features 20 objects recently acquired or placed on loan to America's National Churchill Museum.

Sinews of Peace: Power of Prose (September 2019-November 2022)

All fifty pages of an annotated draft of the "Sinews of Peace," or "Iron Curtain," speech is displayed allowing viewers to experience first-hand Churchill’s final edits to his most famous post-war speech. From March to July, 2021, an extended version of the exhibit was on view, including correspondence between President Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Westminster College President Franc McCluer.

The Few: Winston Churchill and the Royal Air Force (July-September)

Painting as a Pastime: From Winston to the White House (April-July)

A look behind the public personas of Winston Churchill and Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and George W. Bush through their own paintings

An Imaginative Concept: Christopher Wren’s St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury Journey to Fulton (April-still on view)

April 9, Sir Winston Churchill Day (April)

Mini-exhibit about how President John F. Kennedy came to declare Winston Churchill an honorary American citizen on April 9, 1963, including items from the museum's permanent collection

The Special Relationship Project (March-October)

Collaborative art installation project between the museum and 4000+ Callaway County k-12 students to express various interpretations of the term "special relationship," coined by Winston Churchill during his Iron Curtain speech; view the online exhibit at ancmsrp.org

The Churchill Image (March 2018-April 2019)

Busts and other sculptures of Winston Churchill from the museum's permanent collection

Sinews of Peace: The Power of Prose (March-April, October-2017)

In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Iron Curtain speech we exhibited a rare item from our collection: a draft of the speech that contains Churchill's shorthand edits. This exhibition was made possible by the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Endowment.

The Prime Minister, The President, and the General: An Exhibit for the Seventieth Anniversary of the Iron Curtain Speech (April-2017)

This exhibit answers the question "Why Did Winston Churchill Come to Westminster College?" Using the newly acquired papers of Westminster alumnus Major General Harry H. Vaughan, the exhibition will explain the key role that Vaughan played in extending the invitation from the college through the Truman White House to Churchill. The exhibit will also feature newly-acquired materials related to the Iron Curtain speech on March 5, 1946.

The Paintings of Sir Winston Churchill (November 2015-February 2016)

An exhibit at the Kemper Art Museum in St. Louis organized by America's National Churchill Museum. More information here

Churchill Through the Lens (January-March)

Churchill Through the Lens is a selection of photographs from a collection donated by Richard J. Mahoney. The images feature different aspects of Winston Churchill’s life, both public and private. It allow visitors to get a glimpse into who Churchill was as the 50^th Anniversary of his death is commemorated in 2015.

15th Annual Watercolor Missouri International (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri

Churchill Family Artists (October-November)

View works by Winston Churchill's daughter Sarah Churchill, nephew John Spencer Churchill, and granddaughter Edwina Sandys. Included is the marble model of the Berlin Wall sculpture Breakthrough as well as three paintings by Winston Churchill himself on loan from the Churchill family.

We March Together (April-September)

To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II, the National Churchill Museum is currently exhibiting "We March Together." Inspired by Prime Minister Winston Churchill's enthusiasm for Anglo-American cooperation during the war, the exhibit features a selection of propaganda posters drawn from the museum's permanent collections and explores how Britons and Americans contributed to the war effort, marching together toward victory.

Karsh (August-October)

Photographs of Churchill by Yosef Karsh. Exhibit by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art.

Ronald Reagan & Margaret Thatcher: Their Special Relationship (January-March)

The story of President Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher as they challenged the political landscape and moved forward their domestic and foreign policies. Photographs and items from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum and Library and his alma mater, Eureka College, will be displayed with local history and his breakout movie, King’s Row, based in Fulton, Missouri.  Churchillian traits such as character, heritage, and determination guide you through this fascinating look at a special relationship between two world leaders not seen since President Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill. Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher was an in-house creation.

14th Annual Watercolor Missouri International (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri For the last 14 years more than 80 watercolors have graced our walls.  The pieces range from Watercolor to Mixed Media and come to the Museum from all over the globe.  This judged competition is in the nation's top 15 watercolor shows.

D-Day Normandy: Operation Overlord Artwork (May-July)

Traveling exhibit by the Navy Art Collection - Washington, D.C. On the night of June 5, 1944, 1,000 ships, the greatest armada ever to set sail, left the British isles, bound for the Coast of Normandy--its mission to liberate Europe. Operation Overlord had begun.  For this exhibition the paintings of three artists have been selected: Mitchell Jamieson, Alexander Russo and Dwight Shepler.  These painting by the U.S. Navy's combat artists are the visions and images of the greatest amphibious operation ever launched--the Normandy Invasion.

Mail Call (August-October)

Mail Call explores the long history and vital importance of mail delivery between the front lines and the home front throughout American history. From Revolutionary-era war-time letters to today's instant communication, Mail Call traces the courage, fear, despair, and hope of both soldiers and their loved ones.

This exhibit is coming to the National Churchill Museum from the Smithsonian Institution of Traveling Exhibition Services.

Berlin Wall Exhibit (September-October)

More Than Cards: The Hallmark/Churchill Connection (January-March)

Churchill and Mr. Hall had a close relationship. And as a result our Museum has received many of the Hall family's personal effects from the Churchill family. Come see everything from political cartoons to a to-scale model of the palace Winston Churchill was born in. More Than Cards was an in-house creation

13th Annual Watercolor Missouri International (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri

World War II Navy Art: A Vision of History (June-August)

Traveling exhibit by the Navy Art Collection - Washington, D.C. The Navy Art Collection brings its second show to the museum! This exhibition will commemorate all who served and the 70th anniversary of the year of the turn of the tide of WWII; 1943. The Navy Combat Artist Program was approved after New York muralist Griffith Baily Coale convinced Admiral C.W. Nimitz to send Navy artists into action to record military activities. In August 1941 Coale became the Navy's first combat artist on active duty.

From Swords to Plowshares: WWI Trench Art (September-November)

This year's Blockbuster Exhibition contains over 150 WWI metal objects created by the soldiers in the trenches. The metal trench art objects in this exhibition are as varied and unique as the military and civilian artists who created them. The works date from the origins of this brass art form in the trenches of France during the First World War. This is the first time this exhibition has been in the Midwest!

Churchillian Photo Exhibition

Mural Project (September-October)

The Way We Worked (February-March)

Traveling exhibit by the Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street

12th Annual Watercolor Missouri National (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri

Our Stories Our Lives: America's Greatest Generation (June-August)

Traveling exhibit by NEH on the Road

Outstanding Women of Missouri History (January-February)

Traveling exhibit by the Missouri Women's Council - Jefferson City, Missouri

At Home in the Himalayas (January-February)

This exhibit was a student-led creation.

Women in the Military: A Jewish Perspective (February-March)

Traveling exhibit by the National Museum of American Jewish Military History - Washington, D.C

Out of the Vaults: Churchilliana (February-March)

11th Annual Missouri Watercolor National (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri

Lives Remembered: Photographs from a Small Town in Poland, 1897 - 1939 (June)

Traveling exhibit by the Holocaust Museum Houston - Houston, Texas

Ticket to the Past: The First 25 Years of the Missouri State Fair (July-August)

Traveling exhibit by the Missouri State Archives - Jefferson City, Missouri

West Boulevard Elementary Museum: Quilts (August-October)

Exhibit by West Boulevard Elementary School 5th graders - Columbia, Missouri

The Navy Art of Thomas Hart Benton (August-November)

Traveling exhibit by the Navy Art Collection - Washington, D.C. 

Dr. Seuss Wants You (January-February)

Traveling exhibit by the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education - Cincinnati, Ohio

Churchill's Women (March)

10th Annual Watercolor Missouri National (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri

The Life Atomic: Growing Up in the Shadow of the A-Bomb (June-July)

Traveling exhibit by the Rogers Historical Museum - Rogers, Arkansas

Wartime Escape: Margret and H.A. Rey's Journey from France (July-October)

Traveling exhibit by Exhibits USA

West Boulevard Elementary Museum: Overcoming Intolerance (August-October)

Exhibit by West Boulevard Elementary School 5th graders - Columbia, Missouri

9th Annual Watercolor Missouri National (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri

The Berlin Wall

A mini-exhibit on the Berlin Wall and Edwina Sandy's Breakthrough.

40 Years of St. Mary as College Chapel (July-September)

A pictorial exploration of the life of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, and its presence on campus.

West Boulevard Elementary Museum: Hope & Heartbreak: The Many Faces of Childhood (August-September)

Exhibit by West Boulevard Elementary School 5th graders - Columbia, Missouri

Vanished: German-American Civilian Internment, 1941-48 (October-November)

Traveling exhibits by TRACES Center for History and Culture.

8th Annual Watercolor Missouri National (March-May)

Exhibit by the Missouri Watercolor Society - Fulton, Missouri

Selected Items from the Darling Collection (June-August)

A mini-exhibit of some of the unusual items in the Darling Collection, which consists of Chinese artifacts from various antemodern periods.

Harry H. Vaughn: The Soldier, the Collector, the Official

A mini-exhibit of items from the Harry H. Vaughn collections highlighting different aspects of his life as a soldier, collector, and official.

"We are in it all the way" (July-August)

Selected World War II posters from the White Collection of over 400 World War I and II posters.

Images of Callaway County (June-July)

Sponsored by the Callaway County Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee

The Letters of George C. Marshall and Winston S. Churchill (August-November)

Exhibit by the George C. Marshall Center

Annual Victorian Christmas (November-December)