Material Cultures of Childhood in Second World War Britain

How do children cope when their world is transformed by war? This book draws on memory narratives to construct an historical anthropology of childhood in Second World Britain, focusing on objects and spaces such as gas masks, air raid shelters and bombed-out buildings. In their struggles to cope with the fears and upheavals of wartime, with families divided and familiar landscapes lost or transformed, children reimagined and reshaped these material traces of conflict into toys, treasures and playgrounds. This study of the material worlds of wartime childhood offers a unique viewpoint into an extraordinary period in history with powerful resonances across global conflicts into the present day.

List of contents

List of figures

Preface and Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1: Gas masks

Chapter 2: Collecting shrapnel

Chapter 3: Air Raid Shelters

Chapter 4: Bombsites

Chapter 5: Aircraft down to earth

Conclusion

Bibliography

List of BBC WW2 People’s War sources

Index

About the author

Gabriel Moshenska is Associate Professor in Public Archaeology at University College London, UK.

Summary

This study of the material worlds of wartime childhood offers a unique viewpoint into an extraordinary period in history with powerful resonances across global conflicts into the present day.

Product details

• Authors: Gabriel Moshenska, Gabriel (University College London Moshenska, Moshenska Gabriel
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2021
• EAN: 9780367786564
• ISBN: 978-0-367-78656-4
• No. of pages: 186
• Series: Material Culture and Modern Conflict
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; European History, HISTORY / General, Anthropology, Social & cultural history, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, British & Irish history, Second World War, United Kingdom, Great Britain, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / General, Social and cultural history, General and world history, Age groups: children, Modern warfare, c 1940 to c 1949, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Archaeological Theory, HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century / General, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General