ProvenanceBadge produced to raise funds for the war effort near the end of World War I.
Fundraising badges, such as this one, were sold to show and encourage patriotic support for the war effort.
Horatio Herbert Kitchener was a British army officer who made a name for himself during the Boer Wars. At the start of World War I, he was appointed Secretary of State for War. In this role, he was in charge of ordering munitions (until 1916) and the massive recruitment campaigns, including the well-known poster featuring his face and pointing finger with the line ‘Britons, Lord Kitchener wants YOU’. He died in June 1916 when the ship in which he was travelling to Russia to begin negotiations with Tsar Nicholas II hit a German mine off the coast of the Orkney Islands.SignificanceIllustrative of the badges that were popular as a means of raising funds or showing support for particular organisations or causes during World War I. This and other associated badges are a rich source of evidence on the material and cultural history of Australia, particularly during wartime. The symbols, colours and mottoes used on the badges themselves also express ideas about the values and identity that Australians held in the early to mid-twentieth century.DescriptionCircular badge: printed paper between tin base and celluloid cover. White rim. Inset: black background - black and white photo of Earl Kitchener. Marked 'K of K Defender of Liberty' 'Killed 5-6-16'.Creator (person)Creator (organisation)AcknowledgementDate of Creation1916Date of Usage1916MaterialTin
|paper
|celluloid Accession NumberHT 1986.0026
