Sheffield City Archives, will reveal the remarkable stories

of the Sheffield creators of the First World trench magazine The Leadswinger.

On the First World War battlefields of the Western Front, a small group of young men from Sheffield, serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps, created a pioneering trench magazine. The men came from divergent backgrounds but shared a love of art and literature. Together, they produced "The Leadswinger", a richly illustrated magazine that set out to document “the lighter side of war”. The creators hid behind pen names and their identities were soon forgotten. In this talk, Tim Knebel, Archivist at Sheffield City Archives, unmasks the men behind the magazine and shares their stories. Among them, a dashing doctor and Victoria Cross winner, whose post-war life would be blighted by drug addictions. And an eccentric violinist turned cartoonist, who would help shape the future career of one of Britain's best-loved illustrators today. This talk brings the colourful cast of the “Leadswingers” back to life. It highlights the lasting legacy of their creative work, born from the chaos and destruction of war.

Description supplied by the event organiser.