The Great War in Postcards
In the days before mobile phones, satellite communications, radio and television, picture postcards provided a good way of staying in touch. Some showed scenic views or local landmarks, while others were very topical and linked to the events of the day. Woolworth published and sold postcards before and during the First World War.
When the Great War broke out in 1914 a wave of patriotism swept the country. The High Street chain responded with a series of cards that introduced the key personalities, battleships and battlefields of the conflict. The cards give an intriguing insight into how the War was presented as it happened.
To view a postcard in higher resolution simply click its image. If you have a fast connection you can browse through the large versions of the cards by selecting the first one and then using the last/next links. You are welcome to download and reproduce these pictures, courtesy of The Woolworth Museum, if you do so in memory of those who lost their lives defending the cause of freedom.
Bravo Tommy World War I Postcard
Britannia Rules the Waves, HT Lewin WWI Postcard
Deck Cleared for Action, Great War Postcard
Sir Edward Grey, Foreign Secretary
Always Merry and Bright. An H.T. Lewin Great War Postcard
Night and Flame Great War Postcard
NOW!! We are busy. An H.T. Lewin Great War Postcard.
Field Marshall Sir John French
Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, who later served as First Sea Lord
Not Ashamed To Die, Great War Postcard
Uhlans routed by French Dragoons
USS The Recruit in New York 1917
Worth Living For, Great War Postcard
The First Lord of the Admiralty, The Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill MP
The second English trench at Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium