George Benjamin Luks | Armistice night, 1918 | Whitney Museum of American Art | The Carnegie Arts of the United States Collection

Many countries throughout the world celebrate Armistice Day on November 11 to commemorate the effective end of World War I on the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. A common custom dictates a two-minute moment of silence at 11:00 AM as a sign of respect for those lost in the war.

In 1938, November 11 became an official national holiday in the United States to pay tribute to all American veterans. After World War II, the name of the holiday became Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations, which began to hold most Armistice Day events on the nearest Sunday to commemorate both World Wars. It retains its name in nations such as France and Belgium.

The George Benjamin Luks painting illustrating this post comes from Carnegie Arts of the United States, and the uniforms from the The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Brooklyn Museum Costumes. Other pertinent collections in the ARTstor Digital Library include World War I and II Posters and Postcards (University of Minnesota Libraries); The Schlesinger History of Women in America Collection; and George Eastman House. Tip: narrow your searches by date to 1914 to 1918 to find World War I-era images.

Army & Navy Cooperative Company | Suit, U.S. Navy, 1918 | Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art | Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Franklin Simon & Company | Ensemble, Women’s Motor Corps of America (Suit), 1916-1918 | Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art | Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art