KANSAS CITY, MO.- Past and present connect in a selection of photographs of American servicemen and women dating from the Civil War to recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. American Soldier opened at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City on Jan. 23 and represents men and women from the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. The exhibition runs through June 21.

“These powerful photographs convey emotion and information simultaneously,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “The body language and facial expressions of these subjects suggest raw emotions, bringing civilians closer to understanding the indescribable experience of war.”

The 50 photographs in American Soldier were made for different purposes, taken by photojournalists, official military photographers, artists and documentary photographers.

“In looking at work online, in galleries, and as part of other museum exhibitions, I noticed that several contemporary photographers are making poignant and somewhat unusual portraits of American servicemen and women,” said April M. Watson, curator of the exhibition. “These photographs are complex in their portrayals: the subjects suggest vulnerability, fear and loss as well as heroism and strength. Since we have in our permanent collection many iconic images—from the Civil War, World War II, and the Korean War—I thought a show that included these historical photographs, as well as contemporary works, might create a fresh, interesting dialogue about the way photographs over time have shaped our perceptions of military personnel and the cultural values they are seen to embody.”

Although from different time periods, and used in various contexts, these images, seen collectively, resonate as valuable reminders that certain aspects of the human experience of war are ongoing.

This exhibition coincides with the city-wide commemoration of the 100th anniversary of WWI.