'Interpreting World War I Aviation for 21st Century Audiences' by Roger Connor, Ph.D.

Presentation by Roger Connor, Ph.D. – Interpreting World War I Aviation for 21st Century Audiences – The League of WWI Aviation Historians Biennial Seminar, at The National WWI Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO, October 29, 2023 Synopsis: Interpreting World War I Aviation for 21st Century Audiences With more than a century past and most Americans having little opportunity to encounter World War I aviation in educational or cultural settings, the challenges of designing a long-term museum exhibition focused on the topic are significant. In 2016, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum began a decade-long project to transform its exhibits at its National Mall site as part of a top-to-bottom renovation. Included in this project is the 5,000 sq. ft. World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation gallery, scheduled to open in less than two years. The gallery is built on the unifying theme that World War I was the laboratory that transformed aviation and airplanes from aircraft of limited capability to reliable weapons of war that would also come to serve as the basis for a new aviation industry. To that end, the exhibition will highlight four key messages. First, that the personal experience of flying and fighting in the air was very different in World War I compared to today. Second, the war represented a fundamental shift in the nature of war where aviation for the first time played a noteworthy role. Third, many of the core roles of military aviation present today were first tested in the skies of World War I. Lastly, the massive wartime investments in aviation during World War I greatly accelerated the pace of development of not only aircraft design and performance, but also many of the other core technologies necessary to make aviation practical for military or commercial use. To create an interpretive frame that effectively conveys these themes and ideas to an audience with little connection to them requires utilizing a broad range of museum tools and best practices. To this end, the National Air and Space Museum is investing in a broad range of techniques to highlight a range of remarkable artifacts, engaging graphics, interactive experiences, and a spectrum of powerful multimedia elements. This presentation will outline these techniques in more detail and explore some of the crucial decisions made along the way. Bio: Roger Connor Dr. Connor serves as lead curator for the World War I and World War II exhibitions currently under development at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, as well as a temporary exhibition on Advanced Air Mobility. He is also a supporting curator on the Modern Military Aviation gallery and a temporary exhibition highlighting aerospace innovations to combat climate change. Roger curates the museum’s collections of rotorcraft and VTOL aircraft, drones, Army ground force aviation, instruments and avionics, along with infrastructure and ground support equipment. He received his BA from Virginia Tech and holds an MA in Museum Studies from The George Washington University, an MA in American History from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in American History from George Mason University. Roger is an experienced fixed wing commercial pilot with over 4,000 hours of flight time, including over 3,000 hours in dual instruction given. He has held flight instructor certificates in the United States and United Kingdom and served as a designated private pilot examiner for the UK CAA. He also holds a seaplane rating and has nearly completed the requirements for a private pilot's helicopter rating.