Conscientious Objectors of the First World War

Interesting display at the National Portrait Gallery, focusing on the men who refused to fight in the First World War and the people who supported them, to mark 100 years since the introduction on conscription.

Many of these men undertook civilian work instead such as farm labouring or being ambulance drivers but others who refused to even do that were imprisoned.

I was interested in the inclusion of Sylvia Pankhurst in the display as I’d not realised that she broke ranks with her mother and sister and spoke against conscription and helped the objectors. I also loved Ottoline Morrell’s photo albums which seem to be included in a lot of exhibitions that catch my eye. She provided employment on her estate for objectors and the pictures included many interesting people from this era such as Maynard Keynes, Bertrand Russell and Siegfried Sassoon.

Closes 5 February 2017.

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