First World War stories brought to life by pop-up museum

HIDDEN stories of how the First World War affected the people of Preston are being brought to life through a pop-up museum at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
UCLan history students Miriam Kohler, Sarah Pearson and Connor Gillespie who created The Great War Pop-Up Museum with senior enterprise and employability lecturer Gaynor Wood.UCLan history students Miriam Kohler, Sarah Pearson and Connor Gillespie who created The Great War Pop-Up Museum with senior enterprise and employability lecturer Gaynor Wood.
UCLan history students Miriam Kohler, Sarah Pearson and Connor Gillespie who created The Great War Pop-Up Museum with senior enterprise and employability lecturer Gaynor Wood.

The Great War Pop-Up Museum is the brainchild of three third year history students, Connor Gillespie, Miriam Kohler and Sarah Pearson, and shares untold stories of soldiers, suffragettes, conscious objectors and other Prestonians during the First World War.

The trio have created the museum for a final year exhibition design module and have worked with Lancashire Museum Service on the project. It features never-before seen personal artefacts that the students have sourced, including so-called trench art and medals that Connor’s dad found in the 1960s, alongside other items donated by the Museum Service.

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Sarah said: “We wanted to share how the war affected local people here in Preston and some of the courageous and amazing things people did. Hopefully some of the artefacts on display will really help bring their stories to life.”

The exhibition looks in detail at suffragette Selena Cooper, solider Henry Barrow-Etherington and Joseph Garstang, a socialist and conscious objector who was sent to prison during the war and went on hunger strike.

“There were so many interesting stories to tell it was hard to choose which ones to share” Connor said. “We’ve all found researching for this project really fascinating.”

The students are keen that their exhibition is interactive and are inviting visitors to contribute by using plasticine to make their own pieces of memorabilia.

The museum has now moved to Livesey House until Friday, December 2 and is open to all.

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