To mark Remembrance Day, take in this selection of historical materials, poems, newspapers, diaries, artworks, and artifacts from our extensive collections.
Handwritten poem of McCrae’s “In Flanders fields”
John McCrae’s poem remains one of the most influential pieces of Canadian literature and gives us our most enduring World War I imagery: the red poppies…This manuscript, written in McCrae’s hand, was left to the Osler Library of the History of Medicine among the literary archives of fellow physician and McGillian John Andrew Macphail. In this manuscript, McCrae ends the first line with the word “grow.” This is a change from the published version, in which the line finishes “blow.” McCrae wrote out this copy of the poem in a 1916 letter to a friend, Carleton Noyes, modestly mentioning that this piece had achieved some notoriety.
The library also has a second early copy of the poem. It is found in the diary of Clare Gass, which recounts her experiences as a nurse with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in France and England in 1915 and 1916. – excerpt from Osler Library blog post by Anna Dysert (2015, 2013)
McGill’s Book of Remembrance
The illuminated Book of Remembrance contains nearly 700 names of McGill students, staff and faculty who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars….The illuminated Book of Remembrance was officially unveiled on Nov. 26, 1950, at the opening of Memorial Hall, adjacent to the Currie Gym…Here, the book remained on display until earlier this year, when it was removed for restoration and digitization.
For more than sixty years, the Book of Remembrance was displayed in a marble and brass case. Over time, signs of deterioration were observed and the book was removed for cleaning and restoration. A conservator spent five months cleaning surface dirt and removing mold, as well as restoring colour pigmentation on some of the illuminated pages. Following the restoration, the book was digitized and a replica was made. The digital version was launched on the McGill Remembers website on November 11, 2014. – excerpt by Lori Podolsky from the McGill Reporter article “Restored Book of Remembrance to be on display this week” (November 10, 2014)
The McGill Daily, War Contingent Supplement, March 1915
This particular edition of the McGill Daily publication digitized by the Libraries provides a fascinating snapshot of McGill life and opinion during the First World War. The McGill University Archives hold several editions, including one hardbound copy. The volume contains numerous essays, articles, photo prints and even adverts dating from the wartime era. Explore all McGill student publications on the dedicated Internet Archive page.
McGilliana: 200 Years of Student Life virtual exhibit
When a country is at war, life changes for everyone. McGill University’s students were very involved in Canada’s contributions to the First and Second World Wars. This category includes photographs of groups of soldiers and medical corps, as well as the possessions of former soldiers: a water bottle, regimental pins, a patch from a pilot’s jacket. These objects give us a glimpse of the day-to-day of students living through a difficult and dangerous time. – excerpt from Military section of the exhibit
Clare Gass’ Diary & Osler’s Day Book
The Diary of Clare Gass: This personal journal recounts the experiences of Clare Gass, a nurse with the Canadian Army Medical Corps of the #3 Canadian General Hospital in France and England from March 4, 1915 to December 31, 1916. It contains an early appearance of the poem “In Flanders Fields”. A hand-written copy of the poem can be found in her diary entry for October 30, nearly six weeks before its December 1915 publication in the magazine Punch. Accompanying the text are various items that were originally placed within the pages of the diary, including newspaper clippings, manuscript notes and letters, a photograph, pencil drawings, and 10 dried plant specimens.
Sir William Osler’s day book: In this excerpt from his journal dated August 31, 1917, Osler writes about the death of his son during the war: “I was sitting in my library reading recent asthma articles for the new citation of my textbook when a telegram was brought in from Harvey Cushing at no 41 Casualty Clearing Station stating, ‘Revere dangerously wounded comfortable, and conscious, condition not hopeless.’ I knew this was the end. We had expected it. The Fates do not allow the good fortune that has followed me to go with me to the grave – call no man happy till he dies. The W.O. [War Office] telephoned in the evening that he was dead…A sweeter laddie never lived, with a gentle loving nature. He had developed a rare taste in literature and was devoted to all my old friends in spirit – Plutarch, Montaigne, Browne, Fuller, and above all Izaak Walton, whose Compleat Angler he knew by heart and whose ‘Lives’ he loved. We are heart broken, but thankful to have the precious memory of his loving life.”
Canadian War Posters Collection
Among the holdings of the Print Collection in the Rare Books and Special Collections Division are some 250 Canadian posters from the two World Wars. Canadian war posters were produced for a specific audience and for specific purposes. While they were not meant to be archival or historical documents, their time and place specificity have made them an important resource for today’s researchers and members of the public who are interested in wartime life. In 2005, the Library digitized its collection of war posters.
World War I Pamphlet Collection
The World War I Pamphlet Collection, housed in Rare Books and Special Collections, has 1,796 items covering all aspects of the war and its aftermath. Among the subjects covered are: propaganda, recruiting, alleged atrocities, submarine warfare, rehabilitation and post-war re-integration, and the Paris Peace Conference. The material is primarily in English and much of it is anti-German. Most pamphlets were collected by Montrealers during the war and reflect their experience of it. The bulk of the collection was donated to the Library in the 1930s and 1940s.
From the last Friday in October to Remembrance Day, millions of Canadians wear a Poppy as a visual pledge to never forget those who served and sacrificed. The red flower also is the symbol of the Legion’s Poppy Campaign, raising funds to support Veterans and their families in need. We invite everyone across the country to show their recognition by proudly wearing this symbol of Remembrance.
How to wear a poppy: https://www.legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy/how-to-wear-a-poppy