Wartime love letters inspire modern-day jewellery

Published On Mon 19 May 2014 by Grant Hill

The discovery of more than 300 love letters sent between young sweethearts during World War II proved the catalyst for a range of beautifully designed and personalised jewellery being exhibited at this year’s DJCAD Degree Show.

Rebecca Smith was captivated by the letters that her grandfather Trevor Smith sent to his future wife Margaret Gibb during his time as a Spitfire pilot in the RAF from 1943-46. After reading through them she was inspired to recreate their love story through brooches, necklaces, earrings and other pieces that features the original handwriting from the letters as well as old photographs and vintage colours.

Rebecca (24), originally from Glasgow, was struck by the expressiveness of the letters that her grandmother received, and this led her to explore how traditional letter-writing enables us to convey deeper sentiment and a greater preciousness than other forms of communication.

The work she has undertaken for the final year of her Jewellery & Metal Design course at DJCAD, part of the University of Dundee, therefore centres upon how significant sending a letter can be and how life-changing these letters were for her grandparents

“My aunt found these letters when she moved into my grandparents’ house after her father died in 2004,” explained Rebecca. “They met in church in Aberdeen and didn’t know each other long before my granddad went to Canada with the RAF. Despite this, the biggest thing that comes across in the letters is how madly in love with her he was.

“It really was a remarkable treasure trove, not just as a family artefact but as something that makes you think about life, love and how both have changed since then. The letters went on for three years and were written from Canada, Cornwall, Anglesey, London, Isle of Man, Winchester, Devon, Sheffield, Swindon – all the places he was stationed. They were full of love and, despite the dangers he was facing, they were also so optimistic about the life they would have together after the war.”

Trevor and Margaret tied the knot in 1948 and remained happily married until her death 45 years later. His words now feature in the sentimental, one-off pieces that their granddaughter has created to celebrate their love and the lost art of letter-writing.

“You have to think hard about what you are committing to page so, as a result, the letter is very precious,” Rebecca continued. “It’s just not like that with texts or emails. I wish romance was like that these days!

“I barely knew my grandmother but I’ve learned so much more about her through these letters as well as gaining a lot of insight into my grandfather’s life in the RAF as well as his feeling for her. I also have diary, which was more personal and talks about his life in the war.

“The pieces I made have been designed in such a way that the images and words can be prominently displayed or hidden, depending on the preference of the wearer, and bespoke items could be made for other couples to celebrate their love.”

Rebecca’s designs are shown off at her Degree Show installation, which features an old-style writing bureaux, the 300 love letters and a film about the letters and her grandparents story.

Hers is one of 245 exhibits at the DJCAD Degree Show 2014, which runs until Sunday, 25th May. Students from all 11 undergraduate programmes will exhibit the fruits of their labours across the two buildings and fourteen floors that comprise DJCAD, with every spare space exhibiting art and design. The show attracts thousands of visitors each year and is seen as a springboard for some of Scotland’s most exciting emerging artists.

DJCAD has a reputation as one of the leading art schools in the UK and many of its students go on to be world-renowned artists. Turner Prize winner Susan Philipsz and nominees David Mach, Louise Wilson and Luke Fowler are all DJCAD alumni, as are photographer Albert Watson, fashion designer Hayley Scanlan, film director David Mackenzie, video games pioneer Aaron Garbut and the late painter Alberto Morrocco.

The DJCAD Degree Show is one of the highlights of the city’s cultural calendar, attracting some 10,000 visitors each year and generating in excess of £1million for the local economy in the process.

It is part of the Ignite Dundee festival, which runs from 16-31 May and showcases the very best of Dundee’s creative talent.

More details can be found at www.dundee.ac.uk/degreeshow.    

Ignite Dundee is a partnership between Abertay University; Dundee Contemporary Arts; Dundee – One City, Many Discoveries; Dundee Rep Theatre; Leisure & Culture Dundee; University of Dundee and V&A Dundee.