As the FIFA World Cup competition is about to begin in the Americas, here are a few images from WW1 along the theme of the Kansas exhibition. These reflect on the use and abuse of Football during wartime, and the artistry involved in messaging of the public over 100 years ago. In particular from the British perspective, using postcards that by 1914 had become a major form of communication. Note some of the artists and publication houses were not stated or were made up, just in case the war was lost……….
Anti-war messsage around 2014 – we don’t want to fight. A card that was increasingly scarce once the war was underway.
But the government wants you to fight. Its all just a game. The public in general were sceptical about joining the army in 1914.
Is it just a big International game for young men. How grand it must be….
Confidence on both sides – here the Kaiser and Ferdinand plan to reduce the world.
To begin with, laugh at the enemy: Germans.
While offering visceral violence, that in reality was even more horrific to witness.
Now the stronger message to those who don’t want to go to the trenches.
The poetry is crude, but once you are in the trenches, the peer message is getting more factual and emotive.
Here is the reality within the fantasy. Belgium, UK. Russia, France, Serbia and Japan are all playing on the same side – as they faught together in WW1, against Germany and Austria. But this very postcard was sent by a young sportsman Ernest Firstbrook, who joined up with the Roayl Fusilliers. Not too long after in 1916 he was shot dead on the Somme battlefield.
Now its 1917 and its still a game. German U-boats were sinking ships to try to starve out Britain, Russian resistence had collapsed and there were mutinies in France. But the USA have declared war on Germany and joined in, tipping the balance. Its now a game to win.
We hope you have enjoyed this niche look into a very specific branch of the Football Art story, and will enjoy the exhibition in Kansas if you are lucky enough to visit this year.