Material Traces of War: Stories of Canadian Women and Conflict, 1914-1945 looks at Canadian women's experiences of, and contributions to, the world wars through objects, images, and archival documents. The book tells the stories of women who worked as civilians, served in the military, volunteered their time, and grieved lost loved ones, through thematically organized vignettes.
The authors place these personal narratives of individual woman, and their related material culture, in the wider context of the world wars while demonstrating that the experience of living through global conflict was as individual as a woman's particular circumstances. Drawing from the collections of the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, and other public and private collections in Canada, Material Traces of War brings largely unknown material culture collections to public view and draws attention to the untold stories of women and war.
Foreword Acknowledgements List of Figures Introduction World at War, Women at War Chapter One - That Men May Fight: Women and Military Service during the World Wars Lt./Nursing Sister Blanche Lavallée, Canadian Army Medical Corps Nurse Edith Anderson Monture, American Expeditionary Force Lt./Nursing Sister Murney Pugh and Lt./Nursing Sister Ellanore Parker, Canadian Army Medical Corps Dr. Margaret Ellen Douglass, Winnipeg Women’s Volunteer Reserve Spotlight: Disposable Sanitary Napkins Lt./Nursing Sister Mary Adelaide Cooney, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps Spotlight: No. 14 Canadian General Hospital Plate Lance Corporal Mary Weaver, Wentworth Women’s Auxiliary Corps Wing Officer Willa Walker, Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division Private Eleanor “Minnie” Gray, Canadian Women’s Army Corps Spotlight: Private Roy, Canadian Women’s Army Corps Spotlight: Sweetheart Jewelry Lieutenant Molly Lamb Bobak, Canadian Women’s Army Corps Spotlight: Servicewomen, Sex, and Entertainment Leading WREN Lorna Stanger, Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service Corps Lieutenant Joan Bamford Fletcher, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Chapter Two - Selfless Service: Women and Volunteering in Wartime Mrs. John J. Morrison, Knitter Honourary Lieutenant Mary Robertson Gordon, Canadian Field Comforts Commission Spotlight: Soldier’s Comfort Box Joanna St. Clair, Embroiderer Mary Ann Sutton, Poet Spotlight: Souvenir of the Parliament Hill Fire Tsune Yatabe, Nursing Aide Lillian Bilsky Freiman, Philanthropist and Veterans’ Advocate Mary Ziniuk, Knitter Kate Aitken, Broadcaster and Homemaking Expert Spotlight: The Last Remaining Muffin Tin Barbara McNutt, War Savings Stamp Canvasser Jeannette Connon “Connie” Laidlaw, Ventriloquist Chapter Three - Backing the Attack: Women Workers at War Florence Wyle and Frances Loring, War Artists Mary Campbell, Munitions Worker Lois Allan, Farm Service Corps Cecelia McTaggart, Registrar’s Office Ada Sylvester, Canadian Car and Foundry Nora (Gibson) Elrick, Canadian Car and Foundry Spotlight: “Miss War Worker” Lorida (Landry) Langlois, Singer Manufacturing Company Verda Sharp, Dominion Bridge Spotlight: Practice Buzzer Inge Oswald, Ontario Farm Service Force Norma Etta Lee, Quebec Airways Kathleen McGrath, Christie St. Veterans’ and Sunnybrook Hospitals Chapter Four - ‘Deeply Regret to Inform You’: Women, Worry, and Loss Jeannie Cassels Boucher Spotlight: Memorial Crosses Mary Hall Madeleine Jones Spotlight: Service Flags Henriette Pope Edna Scott Dorothy (Effemy) Cannon Peggy (Hayes) Rainville Elizabeth “Betty” Butcher Michiko Ishii Alta Wilkinson Conclusion
Stacey Barker (Author) Stacey Barker is a historian at the Canadian War Museum. She holds a doctorate in history from the University of Ottawa and has worked as a public historian for over a decade. Krista Cooke (Author) Krista Cooke is a public historian with more than 20 years of experience in Canadian museums and archives. Cooke investigates how museums represent women’s history through their exhibitions, collections and programs. Molly McCullough (Author) Molly McCullough is the assistant curator of agriculture, food and textiles at Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation.
Reviews for Material Traces of War: Stories of Canadian Women and Conflict, 1914—1945
“Material Traces of War: Stories of Canadian Women and Conflict, 1914–1945 promises to help provide a better understanding of what a war effort is all about when an entire society is engaged, as was the case first in 1914–1918 and again for the Second World War, from 1939–1945. This book originated as an exhibition at the Canadian War Museum in 2015–2016. It is the result of a fruitful collaboration between three dedicated authors who bring a wealth of museum experience to the subject. It is really gratifying to see their research come to fruition.” —John Willis, retired from the Canadian Museum of History in 2019, where he served as editor of the Mercury Series. “Material Traces of War: Stories of Canadian Women and Conflict, 1914—1945 promet de fournir une meilleure compréhension de ce que signifie l’effort de guerre quand une société entière s’y implique, comme ce fut le cas d’abord de 1914-1918 et à nouveau durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale de 1939-1945. Ce livre est issu d’une exposition qui a été présentée au Musée canadien de la guerre en 2015-2016. Il s’agit du résultat d’une collaboration fructueuse entre trois autrices dévouées qui apportent une riche expérience muséale au sujet. Il est très gratifiant de voir leur recherche se réaliser ainsi. » – John Willis, retraité, ayant travaillé au Musée Canadien de l'histoire jusqu'en 2019 où il agissait en tant que directeur de la collection Mercure.
