Friday, 18 September 2015

Poem ~ Trench Timepieces - Saturday, 18 September 1915


Impression of man's wristlet watch WW1 - by Jamie. See original at:
http://rolexblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/we-want-to-be-first-in-field-and-rolex.html

In a common appearance
Of Khaki uniforms, grew
An equally strange sight,
Of soldiers wearing
A watch on the wrist.

With stigmas still attached,
The first such watches,
Of bracelets - with a time
Piece - were purely made
For women; as in 1810.

When the Queen of Naples
Accepted the prototype -
While all men kept their
Timepieces safe in a pocket,
Protected from elements.

A wristwatch trend spread
With war's breakout - seen
To be for convenience -
In an opinion of American
Retail Association debate.

The issue raised, was over
The concept of a watch
Fixed to the wrist being a fad
Or actually a watch - opinion
Varied between members.

Evidence raised in one
Corner believed the wrist
Watch would 'never be
An actual timepiece' - others
Rejected effeminate idea.

The firm of the speaker,
Told how 400 had sold
To the US Government -
For uses by cavalrymen -
Accusations were absurd.

Many names of wristwatch
Wearers, included baseball
Player Christy Mathewson,
Racing driver, Louis Disbrow;
Even Theodore Rosevelt Jnr.

Other wearers pointed out,
Included New York’s Mayor,
And that city's Police
Commissioner - all followed
Trait to wear a watchstrap.

The fad by 1915, had already
Gone on for twenty years -
With fact of Impracticalities,
of pocket watches, in midst
Of battles - as discovered in
Burma war, by British Armies.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. The Wrist-Watch. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 18 September. P.12. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11869482/Daily-Telegraph-September-18-1915.html [Accessed: 18 September 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 18 September 2015). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1fashion

No comments:

Post a Comment