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Letters
For soldiers and nurses stationed at the front during the First and Second World Wars, letters were the primary form of communication with loved ones. While some told their families of the horrors they were enduring, others chose to remain upbeat and encouraging for the sake of their loved ones. The letters collected here record some of the most important moments in their author's lives, and demonstrate the impact of war on individuals and their families.
Journals
Soldiers often kept diaries of their wartime experiences during the First and Second World Wars, in part because it cut through the many hours of boredom. Diaries also allowed soldiers to reflect on the deeply moving experience of war; many wrote in their diaries in an attempt to cope with and understand their experiences.
Postcards
Correspondence from soldiers at the front was often edited by military censors to control access to sensitive information. In order to make censoring easier in the First World War, ready-made postcards were created. Soldiers checked boxes from a list of pre-selected answers and mailed them to their families back home. How would you feel if you received, or had to send, a postcard like this?
War Art
Art provides a unique look at the war experience because it represents the artist's visual interpretation of his or her surroundings. Paintings can suggest the emotions and sensations that the painter was feeling at the time, and may evoke feelings in the viewer as well. As you look at each painting, ask yourself: How was the artist feeling when he or she painted this? How does this painting make me feel?
Photographs
Photos of war have been taken since the early days of photography, when equipment was bulky, slow, and difficult to use. Today, photographers continue to record all aspects of the war experience. The photographs included here tell a wide variety of stories, from life on the home front to survival in the trenches.
Telegrams
Wars do not only affect the people fighting them; they also impact civilians at home. In the First and Second World Wars, telegrams informed civilians of a loved one's death. Many waited in fear of the day the postal carrier came with a telegram.
Audio Clips
The audio clips included here are from the Canadian War Museum's permanent exhibits. While stories from Canada's early days have been re-created, more recent experiences are told by those who were there. |
