Recommendations for books/ articles analysing battlefield depictions i

[arc_angel1031]

Good morning all,

I am looking into the depiction of WWI battlefields in the arts (as well as in manuscripts) either in the collections held by the Centre for British and Irish Studies at my university or in the collections held by my local historical society in Colorado; I'll decide whether to have a British/Irish or American focus based on how much material I find.

I would like to be able to situate my own work in the context of the existing body of work on how these landscapes are memorialized, interpreted and communicated to a wider audience through sketches, paintings, folksongs, etc. Are there any anthologies that I should particularly consult, or online galleries to use for comparison? For instance, I know there is a lot to see via the IWM's website, but are there others? Are there books or scholarly articles that have taken a perceptive look at these issues? More examples along the lines of this article: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1089&context=cmh , for instance?

Thank you for your advice

[seaJane]

I can't help off the top of my head, but it might be worth your while to link this post to an entry in the Culture forum. An interesting subject!

[alougheed]

Laura Brandon contributed to a book called Canvas of War, which I think is still in print. A Terrible Beauty, by Heather Robertson is another anthology of Canadian War paintings, with poetry and excerpts of memoirs. That one can be had on abebooks.

Cheers

[alougheed]

Another idea for you; if you stick with a Canadian subject you would want to pick up Jonathan Vance, Death So Noble: Memory, Meaning and the First World War. It has been a while since I read it so I don't remember what he said about art and landscapes, but he studied the many ways that the war was memorialized in Canada so he will have many points that touch on your subject. It is a highly regarded book here in Canada.

[David Filsell]

If you need to get a handle on topography and its influences - American Armies and Battlefields in Europe, , Us Government Printing Office 1938 - might prove of interest in view of the influence of the ground in your area. It is a much neglected work, although, obviously 'Americocentric. Good luck.

David