War impacts every part of life, some more obvious than others. In this post, we will explore the impact of war on fashion; particularly, we will look at how the topics of economy and quality shaped war-time fashion. The article excerpts included in this post are from two recurring columns: ‘The Highway of Fashion‘, printed in The Tatler, and ‘Fashions by Jean Burnup‘, printed in Britannia and Eve.Explore knitting and fashion in the Second World WarEconomyWith the…

There is no shortage of wartime reporting in our historic newspapers about any major conflict throughout history, with some newspapers even releasing special wartime issues to further cover military and naval news. February 1942 was no exception as newspapers printed articles on the Battle of Singapore, the Western Desert Campaign, and the rationing on the home front caused by the ongoing world war.The Battle and Fall of SingaporePerhaps the most significant event of February 1942 was the battle, and subsequent…

The bombing of civilian targets in Britain during the Second World War is now commonly referred to as ‘The Blitz’. The song ‘All Stick Together’ released by Ralph Butler in 1939 summarised the need for Britain to pull together as a nation against the threat of an invasion, and the ‘Blitz Spirit’ has gone down in history and is still invoked today in times of strife.  However, whilst the vast majority of the population may have been sticking together, there were…

Not only does 2014 mark the 100th anniversary of World War One, it is also the 75th anniversary of the start of World War Two.  Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, following Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland on 1 September.  Take a look at the newspaper headlines from Sunday 3 September, announcing that Britain was at war once more.Search newspapers from World War TwoNewspaper headlines from the beginning of WW2Derby Daily Telegraph | Sunday 3 September 1939Portsmouth Evening News prints WW2…

Today we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.On 6 June 1944, Allied forces invaded Normandy which was, at that point, occupied by the German Army. It is estimated that over 8,000 people lost their lives on this one day.D-Day reported in British newspapersNews of the invasion reached British newspapers during the day on 6 June 1944, so you’ll find initial reports in late editions or in the copies published the following day.Explore D-Day reports in local newspapersHere’s a…

English writer Virginia Woolf committed suicide on 28 March 1941. She struggled with depression and was deeply affected by the Second World War.‘I cannot go on’Woolf left a touching note for her husband, saying ‘I owe all my happiness to you, but cannot go on and spoil your life’.Read the full transcript of her letter, as printed in the Gloucestershire Echo:View the whole newspaper pageGloucestershire Echo – Saturday 19 April 1941Image © Local World Limited. Image created courtesy of THE…

On 1 September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland.Here are two newspaper stories – published on 1 September 1939 – that report on the invasion.Image © Local World Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.…