A Photo Essay of Our WWI Travel Course: England

For three weeks this past January, Prof. Chris Gehrz and his wife Katie, Prof. Sam Mulberry and his wife Anne-Britt, and their twelve HIS230L students traveled throughout Western Europe, studying the history of World War I and its impact on the 20th century. Over the next four days, we’ll share a multi-part photo essay, then close the week with a written reflection.

First up, images from our eight days in London and other parts of England: (all photos by Chris Gehrz, unless otherwise noted)

A group picture at MSP Airport before we started to check in — thanks to some problems with United, we arrived in London a mere 29 hours later (thanks to Nicole Black’s mom for this photo)

The British Museum — located just across the street from our London hostel (Angela Stephens)

From the walking tour that opened our first day in London… Members of the Army Cadet Force gather near the Cenotaph, the British memorial to the dead of WWI

The Houses of Parliament (Angela Stephens)

The Imperial War Museum (Molly Magnuson)

Trench signs in the newly renovated WWI galleries of the Imperial War Museum

Our students reflecting on the art of WWI at the Tate Britain

The west entrance to St Paul’s Cathedral, where we worshipped during the first Sunday of our trip

There was evidence of the WWI centenary everywhere in London, including this sign in front of St Paul’s

Prof. Gehrz teaching about British social history in front of the Museum of London (Katie Gehrz)

Near the Tower of London: the memorial to members of the British merchant marine who died in WWI

From our professors’ day trip to Bath: a view of the Roman baths with the city’s medieval cathedral in the background

The first in a trip-long series of group selfies, this one at the ruins of a Roman theatre in St Albans, England (Ellie Harder)

Part of our Oxford tour with former BBC correspondent Alastair Lack

The WWI roll of honor in Magdalen College, Oxford — next to it is a special plaque honoring a former student who died fighting for Germany in the same war

Talking about C.S. Lewis in the cloister of Magdalen College, Oxford, where he taught for over a quarter-century

An Oxford street (Angela Stephens)

Our last night in London: Prof. Mulberry teaching T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” in the kitchen of our London hostel, with Elton John and David Bowie looking on

 Tomorrow: the Western Front>>