IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16424, 18 January 1919, Page 12

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

WOMEN'S WORK SECTION. . An Imperial memorial to the •women who pnrtriotically came forward to offer their services during tho war 1 It was n generous thought to imniortaliso women's war work by creating the Women's Work Sub-committee of the Imperial War Musoum. It is fitting, too (says the "Queen"), that in days to come, when woman will take her place as a matter of course as a free citizen of the Empire, there should be a- reminder of those to whom she owes that freedom, and the tremendous odds against which they fought to attain it.' Every branch of women's work jn the \ present war will be in the museum. Records and charts will show tho growth in the employment of women in all classes of work. This ought to b© of particular interest in occupations in which women had not bosn employed previously to the war. The actual labour will be illustrated by photographs and models of the women at work, and specimens of the new -work will add to the technical interest. The history of the employment of women will lie recorded in every case, and copies of official documents, press cuttings, records of public speeches and lectures relating thereto, will bo preserved. Some, of the models _ by women artists illustrating their various formrj of war work havo alroady attracted much attention at the recent exhibition at Burlington House. It is also proposed to mako a full collection of badges worn in every branch of women's war work, and tho committee are particularly anxious to secure those used by societies that were littlo known or supplanted by, or amalgamated with, other and larger organisations. In this way all voluntary associations will be granted their full meed of honour. Pcrl.nps the most interesting of all the sections will be that dealing with industry. A scliome of some magnitude is obviously necessary if anything 1 like tlio whole field of the greatest inI diirftrial evolution the world has ever I Known is to bo cdvered. • Miss Durham, i C.B.TJ.. Chief Woman Inspector, Employment Department, Ministry of Labour, Ims drafted a scheme embracing every field of women's activity in industry since tho beginning of the war. Information from such orgnniaations as the W.A.A.C., the W.R.N.S., and the A.S.C., will contrilmte unique interest, for. as well as from the exhibits of uniforms, etc., documents connected with thoir control and development will bo included. The Forage and Forestry Departments and Land Army, great "fighting" bodies, are closely akin to the above services. Women in shipbuilding and dockyard work, skilled and unskilled labour, municipal and transport services, civil and Government clerical work, higher professions, etc., in which men only had bom hitherto employed, -will be represented, and accompanying charts, shewing their numerical progress, ouliauee the historic and economic interest of the musoum. while the social side will be developed in the progress in working conditions illustrated by the welfare section. AH labour in which women have replaced mon, relean'ivz them for active service, and in which women have been employed io a certain extent even in normal times, will also find places, and their progress in each branch will bo shown. It is boned 'to illustrate by photographs tho adjustments of machinerv and new methods introduced to facilitate the employment of female labour. The munition schomo drawn up by Miss Monkhouse is much on the same lines as the industrial scheme, but confined to -women on munitions, engineering, etc. Tho exhibits •will include photographs of the women at -work in the shops on various operations, specimens of the work, as well as some examples of the trouser suits, protective* clothing, and uniforms worn by the j workers. The hospital section will comprise a ]

carefully-made analysis of, the workeifJ in hospitals as well as medical and nursin o ' records. Statistics concerning huts, canteens, and communal kitchens, etc.y. make a wonderful chapter in the history of public enterprise.