1919 Mindset: poster 1
This one features Waterman Pens - it begs so many sarcastic responses now (perhaps he has a few other things on his mind!) and will definitely be one of the talking points of the social media campaign.
1919 Mindset
Dear shop/property owner
Thanks for coming onto this page to choose a design for your window to take part in the Abingdon Heritage Festival this year.
This year our festival is underpinned by a serious project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which seeks to encourage people to think about historical topics and to form their own judgements. The main theme is the film made in Abingdon in 1919, on the day of the Homecoming Parade for the men who had returned from the Great War.
One of the aspects of this film that we are looking into is the level of resilience that appears to be on display in the faces of the men in the parade and the people in the crowd. It's hard to imagine people nowadays being able to celebrate at all after millions of deaths in combat. We decided to look into the adverts which were on daily display in magazines and newspapers and see what they could tell us about the way people were thinking at the time.
Some of the adverts are really very surprising, perhaps even shocking to us today.
We would like as many as possible to be displayed around the town during the festival because we think they will encourage debate, make people think hard about the differences between then and now, and encourage people to find out more. There is a choice of adverts below, some that will cause a stir and some less contentious ones; so take your pick.
This is not your average quaint, vintage or romantic approach to heritage - it's a much more questioning and challenging approach that we hope will put Abingdon on the map for being a town that is serious in its quest to delve into its history and also willing to put difficult topics into the public arena to make people think.
Please take part and choose one of the adverts below to go in your window - let's get the town talking and get the town talked about.
Let us know whether you will want a foamex rigid board copy (with small holes in the top corners to hang) or a paper copy in a freestanding acetate holder. We will deliver your choice to you on or before 14th September. Most of them work best at A3 but we could organise a larger foamex board if you want to make a big statement in your window.
Please email openproperties@abingdonheritage.org.uk
1919 Mindset: poster 2
This one is clearly a practical alternative to getting your head shot off but the tone of the advert is an astonishing jolliness - the famous British black humour in a crisis! Comes over as completely distasteful now but how did it go down then?
1919 Mindset: poster 3
Slightly less contentious than some of the others above. Still don't think an ad like this would run today, or would it?
1919 Mindset: poster 4
The very fact that they can mention standing all night in mud and water means that they did know back home what the conditions were like. This one is interesting in that it is aimed at the relatives of the humble private - most of the other adverts are aimed at the officer classes.
1919 Mindset: poster 5
We really weren't sure whether to include this one. But history is history and that's the point of this project. We aren't here to sugar-coat. That's a deeply unpleasant little ditty - we don't know if it was a well-known rhyme or if it was made up for the advert. This one is definitely going to get the discussions going!
1919 Mindset: poster 6
This advertiser chose to drag royalty into it.
1919 Mindset: poster 7
Not so contentious - won't upset anyone but equally not so likely to get your window mentioned on social media!
1919 Mindset: poster 8
Also not very contentious - but still a kind of breeziness about it that tells us a lot about the 1919 mindset.
1919 Mindset: poster 9
You can see here the origin of the name "trench coat".
1919 Mindset: poster 10
Similar to the above.
