Do you have a box hidden deep in the attic or under the bed that holds your greatgrandfather’s diaries? Maybe a letter from the front line? A photo taken at the time? Is there a special story behind it? If so, the National Library of Ireland wants to see it.The Library in conjunction with Europeana (Europe’s digital library, museum and archive), Oxford University, and cultural organisations, is helping to build the first ever online European archive of private stories and documents from World War One in time for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the war in 1914 — and are looking for your help in order to achieve this.
On Wednesday 21 March, we will be holding a World War One Family History Roadshow from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. in Kildare Street, Dublin. On that day, people across Ireland will be invited to bring in photographs, letters, postcards, medals, coins, keepsakes, diaries, sketches, army discharge papers, rosary beads, recordings and other memorabilia belonging to family and friends who took part in World War One, and to have their stories recorded.
The project, which began in Germany in 2011 after an initial pilot in Oxford, is being rolled out in the UK, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland this year to create a unique pan-European virtual archive of World War One that is available to everyone. Some of the most fascinating items found to date are described and pictured on the website of the project, at http://www.europeana1914-1918.eu/en/explore .
At the 21 March roadshow, we will have historians and experts on hand to talk to visitors about the significance of their objects. The material will be scanned on the spot by our staff and people will then be free to take their precious memorabilia home with them.
Once scanned, the material will be uploaded to the Europeana 1914–1918 website. If you can’t get to the roadshow, you can still add scanned documents and photos on the site, uploading them in much the same way you would on Facebook.
Any questions? Get in contact at europeana1914-1918@nli.ie, or call Katherine McSharry, National Library Head of Services, on 087 9948144.
Hi Michael, my aunt dropped a copy of letter over last week from my great grandfather to his brother in Boston, written round 1920. My great grandfather was anxious to hear from his brother but hadn't written to him for ages due to ww1and the slowness of post? I assume the brother had emigrated due to unemployment.
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