Capturing Commemoration: Reflections on the First World War Centenary in Britain

An exacting study of the activities that marked the First World War Centenary within the UK from 2014 to 2018 that considers how this period shaped national identity and the increasingly collaborative field of public history.

The First World War Centenary of 2014-2018 was a defining period of public engagement in the United Kingdom. Capturing Commemoration provides the first dedicated examination of this period and the activities that marked it. Collaboratively written by leading experts in the field, this study explores how the Centenary was marked as both a national and a transnational commemoration, how it defined national identity, as well as how it was transmitted within museum exhibitions, digital spaces, and amongst younger generations. In doing so, this volume reflects on the ‘collaborative turn’ taking place within public history, and its implications for cooperation between the academy and the public.