WWI British Nurse Photo Album

[Sue Light]

Gwyn - it's so hard, especially when I want it to be the same. But I think a good image is in post 37. There is one that's captioned 'Sr. Hughes, Sgt. Leake, Self' - she has to be the VAD, although she has put Sister Hughes first, so she is the one on our right. Then in the next image 'IMK and patients' it does look like the same woman, especially as she has a medal ribbon up, in exactly the same place on her apron.

Sue

[Dragon]

I agree! I was composing my previous post at the same time that you and Joanna were posting. I had thought that initials referred to oneself, because I can't see a logical reason why someone would describe everyone but one person by their names.

A genuine question - did women tend not to use their forenames? I mean, if someone was working with another woman, would they refer to each other by surnames? (Or Miss + Surname.) Why didn't she label the photos with the women's complete names?

Gwyn

[Sue Light]

Gwyn

I think it was entirely usual, both for hospital and for the army. At that time nurses in hospital would use surnames rather than forenames, even for friends, and I think that although these hadn't originally been nurses, most would have had a private education where surnames were likely to have been the common form of address.

A search on Google shows that Ida Kenshole was a diarist while working as a VAD, and some volumes of her diary were sold in 2009 - maybe she was a photographer as well.

Sue

[MACRAE]

Outstanding pictures totaly outstanding.

Dan

[MichaelBully]

Astonishing photos, thanks for posting them and very helpful to read the further contributions from other people on this thread.

Regarding women using their surnames, yes thought that would have been usual for nurses at this time. Also from reading Vera Brittain's 'Chronicle of Youth', women students at Oxford in 1915 would not necessarily use first name terms unless with close friends.

Regards

Michael Bully

Gwyn

I think it was entirely usual, both for hospital and for the army. At that time nurses in hospital would use surnames rather than forenames, even for friends, and I think that although these hadn't originally been nurses, most would have had a private education where surnames were likely to have been the common form of address.

A search on Google shows that Ida Kenshole was a diarist while working as a VAD, and some volumes of her diary were sold in 2009 - maybe she was a photographer as well.

Sue

[SiegeGunner]

Hopefully Bob will continue posting here and will pass high-res copies of the photos to Sue, who could no doubt mine a great deal more information out of them.

More generally, nurses with cameras were an absolute godsend in various areas where unofficial soldiers' photographs are rare. The photo albums of Elsie Knocker (IWM) and Mairi Chisholm (National Library of Scotland) are similar treasure troves for the Yser front/Belgian coast.

[SiegeGunner]

Regarding women using their surnames, yes thought that would have been usual for nurses at this time. Also from reading Vera Brittain's 'Chronicle of Youth', women students at Oxford in 1915 would not necessarily use first name terms unless with close friends.

Not when addressing someone directly, but often forename + surname when referring to a person indirectly, particularly to someone 'outside the circle'. Job titles took precedence, however, so nurses would no doubt say 'Nurse Smith' or 'Sister Jones'.

[rcleary171]

Also, this is where the Forum is frustrating, as there's no way of contacting Bob as he hasn't posted five times. I suppose joining his other forum is the only answer, though I'm not keen on doing that just for contact purposes.

Sue.

Hi Sue,

I did not know about the 5 post rule. You can contact me at rcleary171 AT yahoo.com

No need to join a toy soldiers forum.

Bob

[momsirish]

Hello Group,

This may be of interest to this forum. A number of decades ago I purchased an old photo album which appears to have been the property of a nurse who served in France between 1915 and 1920 (how it got to New Jersey I will never know). I have been posting pictures from this album on another forum (see link below) but I will be willing to scan and deliver any of these pictures to the members of this group upon request. The owner is not identified but she did make the effort to put the names down of her colleagues and friends. Hope this helps in your research.

Sincerely,

Bob

http://www.toysoldierschat.com/showthread.php?t=1858

Bob: One can only praise that Nurse for her ability to catch drama in a photograph, but she no doubt deserves a medal instead. These photos are so much more meaningful because thay are actual photographs and not newspaper clippings. Thanks so much for sharing them. Those artists of the forum probably may wish to draw or paint them. Please let them do so, because their interest in the war would transfer their feelings to the images they copy. The pictures seem so intense because she was there composing the image in the viewfinder.

momsirish

[moggs]

This thread is so typical of the generosity of the various members of the GWF. To think that artists could also enhance the pictures is truly fantastic. Maybe we are finally reaching the ideal that so many have fought and died for over the millennia - share, care, love, live.

Jonathan

[frev]

Bob - thank you for sharing the photos - and I agree with everyone else about this being an amazing find.

Sue, et al - I agree all the photos marked 'I.M.K.', 'Self' (& 'self'), and 'In operating theatre' - all look like the same lady. (what is the 1920 uniform she is wearing?)

Had a look at Ida's diary that sold at auction in 2009 to try and find something that linked them.

http://www.antiques.co.uk/antique/Two-diar...-Ida-M-Kenshole

Unfortunately the photo captions are printed (ie. letters not joined) in both upper & lower case, & the diary is written (ie. letters joined) – however, both scribes have a similarly neat hand.

Some of the captions in the album show that the writer has had a little calligraphy practice & the front page of the diary with name etc shows the same.

The diary is marked 18th Gen Hosp, France - and although many of the photos posted so far are noted as 35th Gen Hosp, Calais (& 47th GH, Le Treport) - there is one marked 1915 Church Tent, Camiers, 18th Gen Hosp.

Pity there wasn't more of the diary to see - love to know whose got it!!

I like the diary entry for Christmas 1916......full up with Australians with the mumps.......to anyone with a gift for character sketching, here is a veritable 'gold mine'..........

The diary also mentions Marcus M.....dus & Lt Groom, also Capt Davies (Oct 1917) - I wonder if there are any photos of these men that haven't yet been posted??

Anyway, if the photo album belongs to Ida - a little more personal detail on her:

Ida Maud KENSHOLE – born 1890 Cardiff, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Wales

Daughter of James E. (Gasworks Manager) & Mary A. – living Methyr-Tydfil in 1901

WW1 VAD Nurse, 18th Gen Hosp

Died (unmarried) 1975 Worcester

[The Times 23/8/1975, Latest wills: “Miss Ida Maud Kenshole, of Fernhill Heath, Worcestershire, left 86,751 pounds net (no duty shown). She left 11,000 pounds to legatees and the residue among 10 charities.”]

Siblings:

1.Gladys born c1892

2. Edward Harold born 1893 – 2nd Lieut, Monmouthshire Regt att King’s Liverpool Regt – Lieut, Welsh Regt – living Mill Hallow, Bentley Heath, Knowle, Warwickshire – died 1966 Warwickshire (Solicitor, formerly of Birmingham)

3. William Trevor born 1896 – died 1969 Worcester

Looking forward to seeing more photos (& perhaps someone turning up with the diary! )

Cheers, Frev

[Sue Light]

Thanks Frev - it's interesting there's a reference in both to 18 General Hospital. If Ida Kenshole was in France throughout the war - and there seems to be evidence for being there during five years - perhaps the diary was written before she decided to start the photography, most of that being later.

I'm not at home at present, but I did also look at the 1911 census last night. At that time she was a student at (IIRC) the British and Foreign Society's Training School for Mistresses in Stockwell, South London. Avoiding any modern connotations of the word, I assume that's schoolmistresses and not any othe sort of mistresses So presumably a schoolteacher by profession.

Sue

[Sidearm]

Thanks to TEW for pointing me towards this thread, which I would otherwise have missed completely. The photos are indeed wonderful and thanks to Bob for posting them in the other place. Bob - I would very much appreciate copies of two of these for my own private study. Will e-mail you at the address you've provided.

Thanks again

(Another) Gwyn

[BottsGreys]

The interior photo identified as SP Poole, pge 3, lower left, is quite exceptional for me--the sunlight on her face and arms, coming from outside the image, is quite nice. The photog had a good eye.

Chris

[centurion]

Thanks Frev - it's interesting there's a reference in both to 18 General Hospital. If Ida Kenshole was in France throughout the war - and there seems to be evidence for being there during five years - perhaps the diary was written before she decided to start the photography, most of that being later.

I'm not at home at present, but I did also look at the 1911 census last night. At that time she was a student at (IIRC) the British and Foreign Society's Training School for Mistresses in Stockwell, South London. Avoiding any modern connotations of the word, I assume that's schoolmistresses and not any othe sort of mistresses So presumably a schoolteacher by profession.

Sue

The problem is that there were a whole raft of organisations that were entitled The British and Foreign Society (followed by 'for' and a title) At least three were involved in education whilst others were anti slavery, promoted vegetarianism, eye care, missionary work in Africa, missionary care in India and so on. Most likely is The Joseph Lancaster which became The British and Foreign Society for Secular Education (the others covered education for the blind and elementary education in Africa - a missionary school organisation). Mistress in all these cases tended to be someone who ran the school. BTW the other form of mistress is not a modern meaning, George Bernard Shaw somewhat ungallantly defined the word Mistress "as coming between Mister and Mattress" well before WW1. Mistress was also sometimes used to mean housekeeper.

[thancock]

Fascinating to read of the work that has gone on above to identify these images and those in them.

Bob has kindly allowed the WFA to show the images on our website. If you would like to see them as a single slideshow, full screen, please pop over to the WFA's web site.

Kind regards

David

WFA Web Editor

[Ghost]

Thanks for sharing the album Bob. I'm sure the IWM would be interested in these pictures.

Alan

[pietro]

Fantastic images - its great to see personal photos from that time.

Peter

[Heid the Ba]

Can't add anything useful, but good work that man.

[Sue Light]

Just to mention that I have done a little bit of basic initial research on some of the women shown, and it's been added to the page on the WFA website here:

Nurse' Photo Album (WFA)

Just notes at this stage, but interesting to see the daughters of the MP and the tin-plate worker alongside each other.

Sue

[rcleary171]

Just to mention that I have done a little bit of basic initial research on some of the women shown, and it's been added to the page on the WFA website

Sue,

Wonderful work! It is said that a picture is worth 1,000 words but your contribution and research have turned a old photo album of strangers into an historical resource. I would never have believed that I would learn more than the names of these special people.

Sincerely,

Bob

[Cliff S]

Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos.

My Grandmother was a nurse during WW1 but I have no idea where or any other details.

These pics have brought her memory alive to me once more.

Cliff

[David B]

Am always amazed at the clarity of the old b and w cameras and film, and what a wonderful record they make. Thanks

David

[janecavell]

What a fantastic example of how the internet allows historians all over the world to collaborate. Thank you Bob for sharing these superb photos and to Sue whose research has really illuminated them and made them so much more meaningful. Thanks too to the photographer for labelling her photos and thus making it possible for the research to begin. Let that be a lesson to all of us with unlabelled photographs!

Jane

[mgbarrett1]

Brilliant Photos going to keep artists and the researchers busy for years

regards martin