First World War wheelchair
Production date
1914-1918
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Details
Description
This wheelchair from World War I was probably used in an auxiliary hospital run by Red Cross volunteers. It has a plain wooden frame, with two sets of metal wheels, and red leather upholstery. The wheels are very small, meaning that the person sitting in the chair wouldn’t have been able to move themselves. That means it was probably used by nurses to move patients around the hospital.
However, wheelchairs weren’t just used in hospitals. The Red Cross also loaned wheelchairs to people leaving hospital, and they still do this today, as the NHS isn’t always able to provide one. The wheelchair shown here was even presented to members of the House of Lords to show just how long the Red Cross has been providing this service, and how important it is that they are still able to do so.
I was drawn to this item because it’s so different to the wheelchairs that we see today. Nowadays, wheelchairs are designed with much more that just utility in mind; they’re designed for style, comfort, sport - there are even wheelchairs now that can climb stairs! And when you compare this to these basic early designs, you realise that even 100 years ago, it would have been virtually impossible for a wheelchair user to live completely independently.
I wondered what impact that would have had for all those injured soldiers who had suddenly had that freedom taken away from them. To go from fighting for your country to then come home and be unable to find work, and end up completely dependent on your family; I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult that must have been.
Audio recording by Danielle Dray (Volunteer), Edinburgh.
However, wheelchairs weren’t just used in hospitals. The Red Cross also loaned wheelchairs to people leaving hospital, and they still do this today, as the NHS isn’t always able to provide one. The wheelchair shown here was even presented to members of the House of Lords to show just how long the Red Cross has been providing this service, and how important it is that they are still able to do so.
I was drawn to this item because it’s so different to the wheelchairs that we see today. Nowadays, wheelchairs are designed with much more that just utility in mind; they’re designed for style, comfort, sport - there are even wheelchairs now that can climb stairs! And when you compare this to these basic early designs, you realise that even 100 years ago, it would have been virtually impossible for a wheelchair user to live completely independently.
I wondered what impact that would have had for all those injured soldiers who had suddenly had that freedom taken away from them. To go from fighting for your country to then come home and be unable to find work, and end up completely dependent on your family; I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult that must have been.
Audio recording by Danielle Dray (Volunteer), Edinburgh.
Collection Type
Objects
Catalogue Number
H/EQP/2015/4
Subject auto tags
Object Types
Part of 1 highlight set
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