From Appeasement to Triumph: The Allies’ March to Victory

This powerful exhibition traces the seismic arc of World War II through original, historically significant photographs—many taken by the U.S. Army Signal Corps and other wartime photographers. Beginning with the doomed diplomacy of the 1938 Munich Agreement and the catastrophic Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, Part 1 chronicles the descent into global war and the rising tide of Allied resistance.

Rare images of General Dwight D. Eisenhower in England foreshadow the monumental D-Day invasion. From the visceral assault at Omaha Beach—captured in one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century—to fierce battles in Normandy and the streets of occupied France, each image captures a chapter in the liberation of Europe.

Through combat, captivity, reflection, and ultimate victory, these photographs reveal the cost of freedom and the courage that turned back the tide of fascism. Many of these photographs—never before published in major archives—are now available exclusively from Past in Present.