Of love and war
The Of love and war exhibition will have four main themes:
1. Meetings and marriages
2. Letters and longing
3. Loss and loneliness
4. Beyond the battlefield
Meetings and marriages
This theme will explore the social changes that occurred during wartime. Opportunities to travel and to meet potential partners from different countries or social situations abounded. War heightens feelings between lovers and creates a sense of urgency. This section will also explore how this affected the way courtships and weddings occurred.
Letters and longing
For Australians war has meant years of separation, often across vast distances. This section considers the pressures that couples were placed under due to distance and the tensions associated with war. It will also look at methods of communication from the exchange of gifts, to letters and telegrams, to recorded messages and e-mail.
Loss and loneliness
Separation of couples took its toll on those serving and those who remained behind. The death of servicemen destroyed marriages and relationships. This section will consider how people coped with loneliness and loss.
Violet Lloyd and Gunner Alan Glover married in June 1941. He left for the war soon after and was tragically killed a day short of their first wedding anniversary. Violet never remarried.
Beyond the battlefield
Do things return to normal between couples when the war is over? What about couples whose relationship was founded on war time experiences? This section will consider the impact of war on peacetime lives. It will look at war brides, as well as the impact of conflict on other relationships
