WWI GIFs

Animated GIFs of World War I Footage

In March 2021, the National WWI Museum and Memorial launched a collection of nearly 500 animated GIFs on giphy.com. From the funny to the tragic, these short videos were created using archival film footage of the war, primarily from the U.S. Signal Corps. They provide a small glimpse into daily life during the First World War and show how much — and how little — has changed in the past century.

The files are higher resolution with as many frames included as possible, to provide a better quality video experience.

Search the full GIPHY collection

Animated gif of black and white film footage. A small tank in an empty field. The turret rotates and multiple hatches open from the inside revealing several soldiers.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. Smoke dissipates from a bomb or cannon shot in the background. A man in military uniform walks into frame and then sheepishly walks back out.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. Two men sitting in an open biplane. One is piloting. The other one stands up and throws a bomb over the side of the plane.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. A Black man in military uniform plays a trombone.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. Closeup on a man in aviator hat and goggles piloting a plane taking off.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. A tall man switches hats with a short man. Both are smiling as they shake hands.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. Numerous men dressed in German military combat uniform crawl on their elbows through a forest.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. A white woman in aviator hat, goggles and jacket looks at the camera and laughs.
Animated gif of black and white film footage. A horse pulls five men in a row on skis, along a snowy village road.

All About WWI

WWI Articles
Interactive Timeline
Online Collections Database
Online Exhibitions
YouTube Channel
Teaching Resources
Virtual Events