Simple gas mask
World War One (WWI), known as the “chemists’ war,” was the first time that chemical weapons were used for killing thousands of people on the battlefield at a time. By the war’s end, world leaders mobilized to contain the horrific and deadly agents of mass destruction.
A very simple "gas mask used during WWI by the allies in the campaign in France, circa 1915.
Sound the alarm
A German signal alarm warned when their gas was being released. This photo was taken circa 1916.
Gas warning
A German soldier bangs on a suspended frying pan to warn of a gas attack.
American nurse
An American nurse wears her gas mask while working in the trenches near the front.
American soldier
An American soldier stands guard during a German gas attack in France, circa 1918
Postcard from 1917
Jan. 1, 1917, Unbekannt, Germany. This historic drawing on a postcard from 1917 shows a propaganda portrayal of a ''Gas Alarm'' in the German bunker on a WWI battlefield.
Anti-aircraft gun
German artillery soldiers wearing gas masks pose with a quick-firing anti-aircraft gun used mainly against low-flying airplanes.
Blowing in the wind
German soldiers take advantage of a suitable wind to release poison gas from cylinders.
French soldiers
August 1915: French soldiers load artillery shells while wearing masks to protect against gas attacks.
French troops
Circa 1915: French troops wear an early form of gas mask in the trenches during the second Battle of Ypres.
Gas shell bursting
Circa 1916: A gas shell bursts at a road block on the Italian front.
