A new exhibition launches at Emersons Green Library on 13 April as part of our First World War centenary project.
The exhibition launches at 10.30am on Wednesday 13 April at Emersons Green Library, where Chairman of South Gloucestershire Council Councillor Erica Williams will conduct the official opening. There will also be an opportunity to view some of the original resources that make up the exhibition.
This new exhibition focuses on the social impact of the war in South Gloucestershire, displaying photographs and information about the war’s effects on local women, scouts and even animals, along with information about some of the entertainment and sport that was enjoyed at the time.
Visitors will learn about the contribution made by the women left at home in South Gloucestershire, the local animals that were requisitioned and sent in to battle and there are pictures of local people entertaining themselves with theatre productions and concerts. There is also information about the 1st Downend scout group memorial, local sporting activities, and the fascinating story about the soldier who went through the entire war alongside his horse and then rode it all the way back to the UK from Russia.
As part of the exhibition, the library service has additionally recommended a range of books about the First World War (fact and fiction) for both adults and children, which are available to borrow through all of South Gloucestershire’s libraries.
Communities Chair Cllr Heather Goddard said: “South Gloucestershire’s libraries have been working with local schools and heritage groups to collate archive material such as letters, artefacts and photographs, and also raise awareness of the First World War. The war had an enormous impact on the lives and communities in South Gloucestershire and this exhibition illustrates some of the ways the war affected the lives of ordinary people.”
The exhibition launches on Wednesday 13 April at Emersons Green Library and will remain on display until 2 May, before moving on to Winterbourne Library and other libraries in South Gloucestershire over the next 12 months. As the exhibition tours the libraries, there will be opportunities for local schools to hear a talk about the First World War using the exhibition and other learning materials.
For more information visit www.southglos.gov.uk/ww1
