Toronto-based exhibitor and researcher, Dr. Jean Wang will deliver a virtual presentation on Thursday, June 12, hosted by the British Empire Study Group (BESG).
In a release, the group announced that Wang’s talk, “Smokes for the Troops – British and Canadian Tobacco Funds during WWI,” will explore the role of tobacco funds in supporting soldiers and boosting morale during the First World War.
During the war – long before the health dangers of smoking were widely understood – newspapers and organizations such as the Over-Seas Club in London established funds to send cigarettes and tobacco to British Empire troops overseas. These donations, shipped duty-free with military assistance, offered soldiers relief from stress and boredom while serving as reminders that they were not forgotten by those at home.
Each parcel of smokes included a postcard addressed to the donor, creating a direct link between soldiers and civilians. The returned messages of thanks spurred further donations and strengthened a sense of solidarity across the Empire.
Wang’s presentation will examine these reply postcards to highlight their role in bridging emotional and social divides during the war. The free webinar, which begins at 6 p.m. Eastern Time (11 p.m. in London), is open to all and will be followed by an open discussion welcoming comments, insights and personal experiences from a variety of backgrounds.
Founded in 2007 and based in New York City, the BESG is an informal social group dedicated to the study of British Empire philately. The group offers free monthly webinars and in-person meetings at the Collectors Club Building in midtown Manhattan.
Optional computer-aided close captioning will be available, with translation in several languages, including Chinese (simplified), Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Ukrainian. The presenter will speak in English, while captions will provide live translation into attendees’ preferred languages.
For more details and to register, visit here.