The Illustrated First World War

The Illustrated London News has made available their 1914-1918 archives on a free website at http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/

ILN was awarded £96,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to create a free-to-access website, which will host the digitised wartime magazine pages of a range of titles and rare pictorial material.

From the website - 

"With the centenary of the First World War upon us, ILN Ltd, the custodians of the celebrated Illustrated London News and Great Eight Illustrated Magazine collection archives, felt a responsibility to make the 1914-18 archives available to the public for research, education and pleasure. With the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Illustrated First World War website was created.

Today, for the fist time in 100 years, the public are invited to search the First World War pages of The Illustrated London News.

In the coming months

The Illustrated War News and the wartime years of The Sphere, The Sketch, The Tatler, The Bystander, The Graphic and The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News will come online to complete this unique digital collection covering the First World War. To enhance the user experience, we will be adding new functionality, including advanced search functions.  Should there be a demand, our teaching pages will also develop over time."

Men of Deptford - the Army is mobilised - Deptford Mayor's call to arms 7th August 1914

"On rejoining the 20th London Captain W. F. Marchant, Mayor of Deptford took over running Holly Hedge House, Blackheath. The headquarters of the Regiment with Captain Theodore Prestige, Deptford's representative on the LCC.

At this time he made the following speech

"Men of Deptford! The Army is mobilised The Mayor is enrolling recruits for your local Territorial Battalion at Holly Hedge House, Blackheath. England expects that every man will do his duty. God save the King."

They also made a joint appeal with the news that the 20th had already been mobilised and gone to its war station to the men of New Cross, Brockley, St John's and Deptford for recruits asking that smart young men apply at Holly Hedge House.

"What we want" said Captain Prestige to a representative of the Kentish Mercury on Wednesday night. "Is young men of the type who need to belong to the old 2nd West Kent Volunteers, and we hope that numbers of such will answer our appeal."

Extract from the Kentish Mercury 7 August 1914 (Deptford Mayor's Speech)

On 7th August 1914 the Kentish Mercury published details of a speech by the Mayor of Deptford, Captain W.F. marchant, who had joined the 20th (County of London) Battalion (Blackheath and Woolwich) of the London Regiment.

You can read this and other featured articles from the local papers on our Lewisham in the First World War wiki

The Gardeners Go To War

The Lambeth environmental and educational charity Roots and Shoots has produced a professionally made seven minute period newsreel, The Gardeners Go To War, which was shown on their silver gilt award winning garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.   

To mark the First World War centenary year, the flickering sepia newsreel tells a little known story of the black soldiers who came from the colonies to fight for the Crown in the Great War, imagining that gardeners were in the ranks.  Roots and Shoots students, all of whom have various special needs and many of whom have Afro-Caribbean heritage, played the gardeners. The project involved them in history, gardening and film-making and helped deepen their ‘roots’ in British culture and strengthen their sense of belonging.

It’s an interesting and enjoyable take on the outbreak of the war.

The Gardeners Go To War from Roots and Shoots on Vimeo.