Description
This letter has literally been through the wars, its creased and torn but still tells a story, see photos. Interesting snapshot into one of the many bureaucratic microcosms that grew during WWI. The letter requests the relatives of girl clerks encourage these girls to patronise the canteen created in the Imperial Institute “at great expense”, and to confirm this encouragement, i presume in writing. It later states that it is not possible to to say what the dinner will consist of, but will cover meat, vegetables and sweet- sounds good to me! (The Imperial Institute in London was set up in 1887 to encourage trade and links within the Empire. It was established at a time that the British were concerned to threats to their imperial dominance from rivals such as Germany, France, Russia and America. It would lobby for a move towards imperial preferences in a bid to justify the existence of a distinctive imperial economic policy. The building was located on Exhibition Row in South Kensington and was descended form the Colonial and Indian exhibition of 1886. The institute was renamed to the Commonwealth Institute in 1958 and changed locations. The remains of the original buildings now form part of Imperial College, London)
