Devon in the 1920s – The Forgotten Decade

A research collaboration is now in progress with the Devon History Society, Devon Family History Society, the South West Heritage Trust and The Box (Plymouth). We aim to bring together a wide range of research to create a picture of Devon in the 1920s. We are looking for Members of the DEI to help in the following ways:

• Identify materials relating to the 1920s in the DEI collections:  What do they tell us about the county?
• Discover the histories of local people:  Do you, or does anyone you know, have memories already recorded, or recall what their parents told them about the 1920s? We are looking for family memories in which to ground our research.
• Tell the 1920s history of your own community:  What traces of the 1920s are there in your local community? For example, buildings such as council houses and village halls, and archival materials such as parish magazines and school records. What do they tell us about the decade?
• Help shape countywide research:   We would like to bring together the fruits of research across the county under five headings: The Legacy of the Great War; Growing up; Rural Life; Progress and Technology; and Tourism and Leisure. Can you help?

Whatever you can contribute, we welcome your suggestions, ideas, and questions.

Please contact:  Dr Julia Neville, Devon in the 1920s Project Manager, at [email protected] or via the Devon History Society website.

The DEI’s own West Quarter in the 1920s research project is very much part of the overall project. We are a thriving group but we could fit in one or two more researchers to help, so do get in touch if interested.