Tag Archives: Censorship

CfP: Communication and the Great War 1914-2014

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Contributors are sought for a proposed edited volume which focuses on communication in and after the Great War. Despite the imposition of censorship, it was still necessary to communicate with populations in war. Communication is broadly defined here, ranging from the national and regional to the local and may focus on the reasons for going to war; war aims and objectives; national and local government policy in relation to areas such as conscription, rationing or labour co-ordination, through to informal communication between loved ones. Even after the war ended the implications of the peace settlement need to be explained to the masses. Had the war been worth the sacrifice? There is also scope in this call for work being undertaken which examines how the war has been presented to the public in musuems and other public forums since the conflict ended.

Areas of interest may include, but are not limited to:

The role of the press (national and regional)
Intellectual explanations of the war
Local and national government communication
Communication within the armed services
Transnational communication
Informal Communication (letter Writing for example)
Museums/Public forums and the presentation of the War

If scholars are interested in contributing to this volume please email an abstract of around 200 words to the proposed editor for the project Dr John Griffiths, Senior Lecturer in History, Massey University, New Zealand. j.griffiths@massey.ac.nz by January 5 2018.

CfP: WWI and its Immediate Aftermath: The Tenth Blount Postal History Symposium

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November 1-2, 2018
National Postal Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Washington DC

Theme of the Symposium: WWI and its Immediate Aftermath
Sponsored by
the American Philatelic Society,
the American Philatelic Research Library,
and the Smithsonian National Postal Museum

On Monday, November 11, 1918, World War I came to an end. Wrought from militarism, nationalism and imperialism, the Great War broke empires, challenged established gender and race relations, and destroyed millions of lives. Mail became the critical link for the families separated and desperate for news. Governments responded to these developments and the disruption of communication networks, and struggled to determine who should be able to communicate with whom and about what.

Deadlines for proposals:
One-page proposal and CV due June 15, 2017. In addition to a one-page proposal, each individual should submit a one-page curriculum vitae with contact information (e-mail, phone, address).

Send proposals or questions to: NPMResearchChair@si.edu

Notification of acceptance will be mailed on or about August 1, 2017.

Papers due by September 1, 2018. Accepted proposals must result in papers of 4500-5500 words, including bibliographic material, citations, and image titles. The articles must be formatted according to the guidelines of the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. Images should be placed and discussed within the text and image permissions must be acquired. Writers will have the opportunity to revise their papers after the symposium and before the papers are considered for publication.

For more information on formatting and permissions, please see the call for papers for 2018 at http://postalmuseum.si.edu/research/symposiums-and-lectures/

Possible topics include:
Disruptions and shifts in mail transportation systems
Communication alternatives to the mail
Censorship of and by postal systems
War-saving and thrift-saving stamp programs
War propaganda and the mail
War-time supply issues (inks, papers, etc.)
Changing demographics and policies towards postal employees
Postal systems in occupied territories
Rise of airmail
Stamps of the new countries