World War I Trench Art: History Crafted in the Trenches

What Is Trench Art?

Trench art is a broad term for objects made from war materials by soldiers, prisoners of war, and civilians, either during or immediately after a conflict. The term is most strongly associated with World War I, when millions of men spent years in static positions with access to enormous quantities of spent brass, copper, and aluminium.

Despite the name, most “trench art” was not made in the trenches — conditions there were far too dangerous and cramped. Much of it was produced behind the lines, in rest areas, hospitals, and POW camps, where men had time and materials to work.

Common Types of Trench Art

Shell Case Vases

By far the most common form. Brass artillery shell cases — typically 18-pounder (British), 75mm (French), or 77mm (German) — were hammered, chased, and engraved into decorative vases. Common motifs include flowers, regimental crests, town names, and dates. Matched pairs were particularly popular as mantelpiece ornaments.

Letter Openers and Paperknives

Made from bullet cartridges, copper driving bands, and scrap metal. Some are crude; others show remarkable craftsmanship, with inlaid handles and etched blades.

Cigarette Lighters

Fashioned from bullet casings — typically .303 British or 8mm Lebel — with improvised flint-and-wick mechanisms. Some incorporate cap badges or coins. These were both practical items and souvenirs.

Cap Badge Art and Sweetheart Brooches

Soldiers often fashioned miniature versions of their regimental badges as gifts for sweethearts and family. These “sweetheart brooches” were made from coins, shell fragments, or purpose-bought blanks, and mounted with pin fastenings. They represent some of the most personal trench art.

Crucifixes and Religious Items

Crosses made from battlefield aluminium and cartridge cases were common. Some served as grave markers; others were personal devotional objects. These pieces carry a particular emotional weight.

Who Made Trench Art?

The makers fell into several categories:

• Soldiers — both front-line troops behind the lines and those in reserve. Pre-war skills (blacksmiths, jewellers, engravers) made certain men go-to craftsmen.
• Prisoners of war — with time and motivation, POWs produced some of the most intricate pieces. German POWs in British and French camps created elaborate bone carvings, wooden models, and metal work.
• Civilians — particularly in France and Belgium, local civilians produced pieces for sale to soldiers as souvenirs. These tend to be of higher commercial quality but lower historical interest.
• Chinese Labour Corps — the CLC members who worked behind the lines on the Western Front created distinctive pieces with Chinese characters and motifs.

Collecting Trench Art

What to Look For

The most desirable pieces are those with clear provenance — named, dated, and linked to a specific unit or battle. A shell case engraved “SOMME 1916 — PTE. T. JONES — 9TH DEVONS” is worth far more than a generic floral vase.

Signs of genuine wartime manufacture include:

• Hand-worked (not machine-stamped) decoration
• Authentic shell base markings visible
• Period-correct metals and patina
• Crude or uneven work (soldiers were not professional artists)

Price Ranges

Condition Matters

With trench art, condition is relative. These are handmade wartime objects — some crudeness is expected and part of their charm. However, dents, splits, and heavy cleaning (which destroys patina) all reduce value. The golden rule: do not polish trench art. Original patina adds authenticity and warmth.

Trench Art as Social History

Beyond their collecting appeal, trench art pieces are important social documents. They reveal what soldiers were thinking about — home, family, religion, humour, regimental pride. A shell case vase decorated with forget-me-nots and the inscription “TO MOTHER, FROM FRANCE, 1917” tells us as much about the human experience of war as any diary entry.

Major museum collections exist at the Imperial War Museum, the Canadian War Museum, and the Musée de la Grande Guerre in Meaux. For collectors, trench art remains one of the most affordable and evocative entries into World War I militaria.

Trench Art Beyond WWI

While the term is most associated with the Great War, trench art was produced in most 20th-century conflicts. World War II prisoners produced remarkable work — Italian POWs in British camps created elaborate wood carvings and paintings, while German POWs in Canada and the United States made model ships, carved chess sets, and embroidered panels. Japanese-held POWs, working under far more brutal conditions, sometimes managed to create hidden objects that served as evidence of their captivity.

The Korean War and Vietnam War produced their own trench art traditions. American soldiers in Vietnam fashioned Zippo lighters with hand-engraved slogans, unit insignia, and maps — these are now avidly collected in their own right, with authenticated examples commanding substantial prices. British soldiers in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq, and Afghanistan continued the tradition, though modern military regulations and operational conditions made production less common.

The Art of the Shell Case

Understanding shell case markings adds depth to collecting. All military shell cases carry head stamps — stamped markings on the base that record the manufacturer, calibre, lot number, and date of manufacture. Common calibres encountered in trench art include:

The head stamp markings can reveal where the case was fired and when, sometimes adding provenance: a dated shell case from 1916 that has been worked into a battlefield vase is almost certainly a genuine Western Front piece.

Notable Collections and Museums

Several major museums hold significant trench art collections:

• Imperial War Museum, London — extensive collection including personalised and provenance pieces
• Canadian War Museum, Ottawa — one of the world’s largest trench art collections, reflecting Canada’s major contribution to WWI
• In Flanders Fields Museum, Ypres — displays trench art within the context of the Salient
• Musée de la Grande Guerre, Meaux — the French national WWI museum with an outstanding trench art gallery

Dr Nicholas Saunders of the University of Bristol has published extensively on trench art as material culture, arguing that these objects are anthropological documents as much as souvenirs. His book Trench Art: Materialities and Memories of War (2003) is the academic standard reference.

Buying and Selling Trench Art

Trench art remains one of the most affordable entries into WWI collecting. Common shell case vases can still be found at antiques fairs, car boot sales, and house clearances for under £20. However, the market has matured, and exceptional pieces — named, dated, and linked to specific units — now reach prices that would have seemed extraordinary a generation ago.

When buying, consider:

• Documentation — any accompanying letter, photograph, or family history dramatically increases value
• Originality — check that decoration has not been added later. A plain WWI case that has been modern-engraved is worth far less than an original piece.
• Weight and condition — heavy brass cases in good condition, without splits or major dents, are most desirable
• Provenance vs aesthetics — a crudely decorated piece with a clear regimental connection is worth more to serious collectors than a beautifully worked but anonymous vase

Sources

• Saunders, Nicholas J. Trench Art: Materialities and Memories of War. Berg, 2003.
• Kimball, Jane. Trench Art: An Illustrated History. Davis Publications, 2004.
• Imperial War Museum. “Trench Art Collection.” iwm.org.uk
• Saunders, Nicholas J. Killing Time: Archaeology and the First World War. Sutton, 2007.

Trench Art as Social History

Beyond their aesthetic and military interest, trench art objects are documents of social history. They record the human experience of industrialised warfare in a way that official records cannot. A soldier who spent hours painstakingly decorating a shell case with a hammer and nail was doing more than passing time — he was asserting his humanity and individuality against a system designed to reduce him to a number.

The sweetheart brooches made from coins, shell fragments, or regimental buttons were sent home as tokens of affection and reassurance. Many bear simple inscriptions — “To Mother from France 1917” — that carry an emotional weight disproportionate to their material value. These personal pieces, when they come with a family provenance linking them to an identifiable soldier, are among the most poignant items in any militaria collection.

Prisoner-of-war trench art tells a different story — one of captivity, boredom, and the determination to maintain morale through creative activity. German and Italian POWs in Britain during WWII produced work of remarkable quality. The bone ship models carved by Napoleonic-era French prisoners represent an earlier tradition that demonstrates how deep the connection between captivity and creativity runs in military history.

Care and Conservation

Trench art requires minimal conservation. Brass shell cases should not be aggressively polished — a gentle clean with warm soapy water is sufficient to remove surface grime without destroying the patina that develops over a century. Embroidered pieces (silk postcards, handkerchiefs) should be stored flat in acid-free tissue, away from direct sunlight.

Painted items are particularly vulnerable; avoid cleaning with solvents that might dissolve the original paint. If in doubt, consult a conservator rather than risk damage. The Victoria & Albert Museum’s conservation guidance provides excellent general principles for caring for mixed-material objects.