“The Americans in Tours: 1917-1919” on Display at the Hennepin Gallery, April 3 - May 30

Via an April 2 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:

“The Americans in Tours: 1917-1919” on display in Hennepin Gallery April 3 through May 30

Minneapolis and representatives from Tours, France, a Minneapolis Sister City, are proud to present “The Americans in Tours (les américains à tours): 1917-1919,” an exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I that will be on display in the Hennepin Gallery at the Hennepin County Government Center. Thousands of Americans, including Minnesotans, were stationed in Tours, France, and the exhibit features historical photographs and documents marking the arrival of the Americans in Tours, as well as their lives and work.

This special exhibit recalls a unique time in history when U.S. service members served in the Services of Supply (SOS) and the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Tours, France, served as headquarters for the SOS. The efforts of Americans in Tours were critical for the success of U.S. soldiers on the battlefield and also laid the groundwork for a lasting connection between the U.S. and France – one that lives today through the Sister City relationship.

Minneapolis and Tours have been connected through the Sister Cities program since 1991. Tours is one of 12 Minneapolis Sister Cities. The Minneapolis program started in 1961 with the signing of the first Sister Cities agreement with Santiago, Chile, with the intent of fostering people-to-people citizen diplomacy. The program, managed by Meet Minneapolis, also includes Cuernavaca, Mexico; Eldoret, Kenya; Harbin, China; Ibaraki City, Japan; Kuopio, Finland; Novosibirsk, Russia; Winnipeg, Canada; Uppsala, Sweden; Najaf, Iraq; and Bosaso, Somalia. For more information about the Meet Minneapolis Sister Cities program, see their Sister Cities website and the Minneapolis/Tours site.

The Hennepin Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Hennepin County Government Center, A-level, 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis. 

The exhibit is sponsored by and the gallery is a project of Hennepin County Communications.