A new exhibition at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery next year will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One.
The exhibition, called War Stories: Voices from the First World War, will run from July 12 2014 to March 1 2015 and bring to life the experiences of twelve people whose personal stories reveal the impact of the war.
War Stories is one of a number of special displays and exhibitions being organised by Brighton & Hove City Council’s Royal Pavilion & Museums team and will form part of the city’s commemorations of the centenary of the Great War.
Others exhibitions include Dr Brighton’s War: Hospitals and Healing in Brighton during WW1, a display of posters and photographs on the seafront highlighting the city’s role in treating wounded soldiers; and Steeplechasing Shell Holes: A Young Man’s War, at Preston Manor, recounting the wartime experience of Vere Benett-Stanford who was heir to the manor at the time.
In addition, a longstanding display at the Royal Pavilion will provide a fascinating account of how the royal palace was transformed into a military hospital for wounded Indian soldiers who were serving on the Western Front. (See image attached – Hospital for Indian soldiers at The Royal Pavilion, Brighton 1915. © Royal Pavilion & Museums)
Exhibitions details:
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
What: War Stories: Voices from the First World War
Where: Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1EE
When: July 2014 12 – March 1 2015
Cost: Admission free
Curators are currently researching stories for the exhibition and have been interviewing local people to collect their family stories and memorabilia. Stories to be featured are still being finalised and details will be confirmed nearer the time. The range of stories to be featured could include a soldier on the Western Front, women on the front line, a conscientious objector, and a child growing up in wartime.
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On Brighton Seafront
What: Dr Brighton’s War: Hospitals and Healing in Brighton during WW1
Where: Brighton Seafront
When: July 9 – August 31 2014
Cost: Free
Brighton & Hove played a full part in the Great War, not only by providing hundreds of young men to fight, but also as ‘Doctor Brighton’ a hospital city where wounded soldiers were sent to recover in healthy ‘Sussex by the Sea’, before being sent back to their regiments or discharged into civilian life.
This pictorial exhibition on Brighton seafront will tell how Brighton & Hove was transformed by the presence of the many military hospitals required to treat the increasing number of casualties returning from the Front. As a seaside resort the city was ideally suited to entertaining these young men and distracting them from the horrors of war, but more importantly, Brighton played its part in retraining the seriously injured and preparing them for their integration back into society after life-changing injury.
The exhibition features images from photographs, postcards and posters held in the Royal Pavilion and Museums’ collections.
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At Preston Manor
What: Steeplechasing Shell Holes: A Young Man’s War
Where: Preston Manor, Preston Drove, Brighton,BN1 6SD
What: Steeplechasing Shell Holes: A Young Man’s War
When: April 1 2014- September 30 2014
Entrance: Free with Preston Manor admission fee
Vere Benett-Stanford, heir to Preston Manor, served in the Royal Field Artillery during World War I. This fascinating display of personal archive material, photographs, letters and medals will reveal a glimpse into his experiences of war in France.
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The Royal Pavilion
What: Indian Military Hospital Gallery
Where: The Royal Pavilion, Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1EE UK
What: Indian Military Hospital Gallery
When: Permanent Display
Entrance: Free with Royal Pavilion admission fee
The Royal Pavilion served as a hospital for Indian Soldiers during WW1. This poignant and often unknown story is told through archive photographs, letters, talks and a new programme of tours. Free with Royal Pavilion admission fee.
Further information about the Royal Pavilion & Museums, CLICK HERE:
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