New York State Museum Unveils “Ghost Army” Exhibition Featuring the Incredible True Story of World War II’s Combat Con Artists

New Exhibition Reveals How a Secret U.S. Army Unit Fooled Nazi Forces as the First Mobile Tactical Deception Unit in U.S. Army History

Historical Images are Available for Download in the Online Press Kit

The New York State Museum today announced Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II, a new temporary exhibition revealing the extraordinary story of a top-secret U.S. Army unit that turned art, engineering, sound, and showmanship into weapons of war.

On view September 5 through December 27, the traveling exhibition brings visitors inside the world of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, an elite tactical deception unit activated by the U.S. Army on January 20, 1944. During the final year of World War II, more than 1,000 soldiers, including artists, engineers, radio operators, and sound technicians, used inflatable rubber tanks, fabricated radio transmissions, recorded sound effects, and carefully staged visual illusions to convince enemy forces that large American combat units were stationed where they were not.

Many of the troops trained in Northern New York at Fort Drum, then known as Pine Camp, before deploying to Europe. The unit, armed with nothing heavier than .50 caliber machine guns, included future celebrated artists and native New Yorkers such as Ellsworth Kelly and Art Kane.

New York State Museum Director Jennifer Saunders said, "The Ghost Army's story is one of extraordinary ingenuity, courage, and creativity. The unit reportedly had one of the highest concentrations of West Point graduates of any Army unit during World War II, alongside artists, engineers, and other soldiers who used sound, technology, and deception to create entire military forces out of thin air. Because their missions remained classified for decades, their remarkable contributions are still unfamiliar to many Americans. We are proud to bring this exhibition to the New York State Museum, where visitors will discover how art and innovation became a powerful tool of wartime deception."

The exhibition allows visitors to explore the Ghost Army through features including:

• A full-size inflatable tank illustrating the Ghost Army's signature visual deception techniques
• Immersive multimedia environments exploring the use of sonic, visual, and radio deception tactics
• Original artifacts, including uniforms, equipment, and artwork created by members of the Ghost Army
• Archival photography and displays detailing deception operations from Normandy to the Rhine River

In addition to the exhibition, the Museum will host a special screening of the acclaimed PBS documentary The Ghost Army, followed by a moderated discussion and audience Q&A with Aaron Noble, Senior Historian and Curator of Political and Military History at the New York State Museum, and Rick Beyer, author and leader of the Ghost Army Legacy Project.

• Date: Sunday, November 1
• Time: 2:00 p.m.
• Location: Huxley Theater, New York State Museum

Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II was developed by the National WWII Museum and is exclusively sponsored by E.L. Wiegand Foundation.

About the New York State Museum

Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is the oldest and largest public museum in the United States. Home to leading scientists, historians, archeologists, and anthropologists, its collections represent the State's rich cultural and natural heritage from the past and present, including a staggering 20+ million artifacts spanning 1.1 billion years ago to today. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on all state observed holidays, including the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website and subscribe to our newsletter.