Wartime Craft as Therapy
The necklace, crafted between 1916-1918, is made of glass and faceted brass beads with cotton, measuring 66 × 1 cm overall. Creative endeavors of First World War soldiers, such as trench art or objects made during rehabilitation, are relatively rare in museum collections. Apart from some identification bracelets, a couple of lockets, and pins, this aspect of the war is not well documented in the New Brunswick Museum collections. While a few photographs of the interior of the Military Hospital in Fredericton, NB, show soldiers engaged in various tasks and treatments, none specifically document rehabilitation crafts such as this beadwork.
A Gift to a Child
This necklace holds special significance as it was presented to four-year-old Muriel Palmer Taylor Jacobson (1914-2020) in 1918 upon Private Charles Henry Morgan’s discharge from the army and his return to the employ of the Taylor family at their farm near Florenceville, NB.
Muriel Jacobson treasured the necklace for the rest of her life and wrote when she was over 100 years old:
“I was born at the beginning of World War I. A young man of 18, Charlie Morgan, lived with my parents as one of the family. He apparently had no family or relatives. He was 14 or 15 when he came to our farm looking for work. My parents made him a member of the family and my Father taught him some work skills. I believe he enlisted in the Canadian Army at the beginning of the war… He made 2 bead necklaces which he brought home to Vivian [her older sister] and me. I remember very clearly his returning to our home, the only home he had. He was about my Father’s height but very slight. He was dressed in khaki clothes. I was a 4 year old girl and quite intrigued by his puttees, soon changed for trousers. He lived with us until he decided to make a life on his own.”
A Window into Personal War Experiences
This necklace represents more than just a decorative object; it provides a tangible connection to the personal experiences of soldiers during and after the First World War. It illustrates how crafting activities were employed as therapeutic interventions for wounded soldiers, helping them develop dexterity and focus during their recovery. Additionally, it offers a glimpse into the social relationships and bonds that formed between soldiers and the families who supported them before and after their service.
The preservation of this artifact, along with its well-documented provenance and the centenarian recipient’s personal recollections, makes it an exceptionally valuable addition to the New Brunswick Museum’s collection. It helps tell the story not only of New Brunswick’s military history but also of the human connections that sustained people through the challenges of wartime and recovery.
