Souvenirs from the Great War ........ no.6

Until recently I had no idea just how big the market had been in war time souvenirs.

The big porcelain companies churned out thousands of crested china each with a war theme and often carry the name and coats of arms of cities and towns across the country.

It made perfect economic sense, given that most holiday destinations were no longer as easy to get to, which in turn meant that there was less demand of porcelain models of the Blackpool Tower or Ann Hathaway’s cottage.

And with the war in full swing, there were many people who would buy a china tank, battleship or ambulance lorry to show their support for the war and perhaps a way of getting closer to a loved one on a battle field somewhere.

This one is a drum, carrying the coat of arms of the city of Manchester, and belongs to David Harrop, who has an extensive collection of crested china from the Great War, some of which are on display in his permanent exhibition at the Remembrance Lodge in Southern Cemetery.

David also kindly supplied much of the memorabilia which appeared in the book, Manchester Remembering 1914-18 which as published last year by the History Press.

Location; Manchester








Picture; crested china, drum, circa 1914-18 from the collection of David Harrop