Spoils of War

Relics from wars past take center stage today at a venue that’s no stranger to military history. Twenty local collectors will show off their treasures at the fourth-annual Militaria Collectors Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial (100 West 26th Street). In years past, the free event has drawn between 500 and 1,000 visitors, says Eli Paul, the museum’s director. “The collector community likes it because it allows them to show off their personal treasures.”Those treasures can range from the common to the extraordinary. A collector at a previous show displayed a chain-mail mask worn by a British tanker during World War I. The item eventually was donated to the museum, Paul says. It will go on display later this year, along with a French tank that the museum recently acquired.The National World War I Museum will be open during its regular hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can tour the museum for $8, with reduced rates for children and seniors. Active-duty military can visit the museum at no charge.

National World War One Museum

Sat., March 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2008