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 Our Century has been bequeathed a tangible legacy from a previous one, from a time of great struggle and human turmoil, involving people who believed in, and sacrificed themselves for, a better New World. This bequest is the artistic production from the Great War, now known as "Trench Art". The term "Trench Art" originates from a WWI-era French publication, which illustrated objects made from military equipment or spent war materials by “artisanat de tranchées” (craftsmen of the trenches). Trench Art of World War 1 - every piece holds a personal story of its creation (but more often than not, its secrets are undiscovered). Made in a diverse variety of forms, by Soldiers, Seamen, Airmen, the Chinese Labour Corps, Prisoners-of-War, the Wounded, Disabled Servicemen, Civilian artisans, Internees, local cottage industries for Souvenirs (such as the French cottage industry), and the jewellery trade. This mass of artefacts, now highly sought after from a collectable and investment point of view, was crafted from a variety of Great War battlefield debris, not only during the hostilities from 1914 through 1919, but well into the post-war years. As a Trench Art collector for some years, I wanted to share with others the existence and diversity of these objects associated with the Great War and inter-war years (1914-1939), on a dedicated website: this is it ! My collection is a tiny example of some of the dazzling array of objects which were crafted. There are many sizeable private and museum collections which exist worldwide, with more in the future. To appreciate more lavish objects, their diversity, and how they were crafted, it's worth reading the publications shown on the Books Page. Also, click my links to other related internet sites, and a "virtual" Trench Art museum in France to visit ! For the enthusiastic Collector, there are many varied items of Trench Art auctioned daily on the Internet site EBAY in the UK with separate auctions on EBAY Worldwide, France, Belgium / Holland, Germany and Italy. (Trench Art from periods other than the Great War period can also be found here.) As general background to the First World War, I have added some internet web links on the "History" page. If you know of other sites that I can link-to and which might interest others, please do let me know using the site's "contact" form. Thanks for your interest, and if you have any comments about this site, Trench Art generally or any questions (which I shall try to answer), the "contact" form is available. Regards, Steven Booth |
