Antiques & Vintage Collectibles

19 July - 31 August 2014

"The war is usually seen through military eyes.  However, it could not have been won without the efforts of millions of women. They proved what they could do  – what took a great deal longer was to convince everyone that they should do it."

‘Fighting on the Home Front:  The Legacy of Women in WorldWar One’  by  Kate  Adie, (Hodder &  Stoughton)

World War I changed women’s life forever; in terms of status, class, position and what was acceptable for a woman to wear. Fashion changed with the innovation of women being required to do men’s work. The corset disappeared and trousers became a norm.

In the 1,800-year-old letter, written mainly in Greek, the soldier serving in a Roman legion in Europe tells his family he is desperate to hear from them and that he is going to request leave to make the long journey home to see them.

[T]he project I am currently working on, identifying and researching the First World War collections that we hold, is the one that has most inspired me and captured my interest. From a collection of poems and illustrations made by soldiers whilst they were being treated in Bradford War Hospital, to official minutes from the meetings of Otley’s Belgian Refugee Committee, to personal letters and diaries giving an insight into what life was like during 1914-1918 both at home and at the front; the collections are vast and draw on personal experiences as well as official documentation issued at the time.