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Vogue and the First World War

The article begins with the headline “The New Declaration of Independence”. Over the following page it goes on to examine shifting global power dynamics, explaining that “the spirit that made it impossible for the thirteen American colonies to remain vassals of Great Britain, makes it equally impossible that our nearly fifty states rest under the perpetual threat involved in Prussian militarism and imperial Pan-Germanism.” This article isn’t from the New York Times; it won’t be found in Papers Past. Instead it comes from one of Wellington City Libraries’ most interesting online resources: the Vogue Archive.

Vogue’s coverage of the First World War is significant for several reasons: for starters its variety. Just a brief search of the Archive using the keyword “War” between 1917 and 1918 brings up articles addressing everything from practical fashion advice (“Dressing on a War Income”) and the role of women in relief work (“The Woman’s Share of War”) to the importance of Liberty Loans (“If We Would Win This War”) and changes in mourning practices (“The Mode in Mourning”).

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by Paul V

by Stephen C

It’s May 2021, which means that New Zealand Music Month | Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa is upon us once again. We like music here on the Teen Blog, so we thought we’d share with you some of the cool stuff you can see, hear, or do to mark the occasion.

Find local music at the library

A festive panoply of recent additions to our collection of Wellington music.

The theme of NZMM21 is simple: ‘Support Local. Stream Local. Follow Local. Buy Local.’ I’m not sure if there’s some kind of subliminal messaging at play here, but I think it’s possible that the kind folks at the New Zealand Music Commission are encouraging us to check out local artists. This is a message we at Wellington City Libraries wholeheartedly support. Our Customer Specialist for Music and Film, Mark, runs the Wellington Music blog and Facebook page, and if what you’re after is a constant stream of local Wellington content — interviews, videos and performances, anecdotes, new releases and more — well, he definitely has you covered. Check out his exhaustive Artist Directory for lists of literally hundreds of Wellington musicians and bands going back to the 1940s, complete with links to their material. It’s the best place you could start if you’re wanting to explore the music of this place.

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