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Dear Mrs Pennyman

@ mima: Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art

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This display offers insight into the emotions of women who lost relatives and loved ones during the First World War. The letters were written to Mrs Mary Pennyman (1889 – 1924), then secretary of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers Widows and Orphans Fund, who lived at Ormesby Hall, Teesside. The themes of female roles within conflict and reactions to loss and trauma resonate with the exhibition Undead Sun: We Put the World Before You, by Jane and Louise Wilson.

Pennyman offered practical advice and emotional support to those who were suffering from hardship, financial difficulties, ill health or grief. As news from the battle fields was slow to reach the UK, many women wrote to Pennyman to discover more about the deaths of their husbands or sons. The correspondence provides insight into emotions that are frequently overlooked in historical studies.

On view until 6 November. Organised with Dr Roisín Higgins, Teesside University, and Teesside Archives as part of ‘Dear Mrs Pennyman’, a public history project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Go to dearmrspennyman.com or speak to a member of staff for further information.

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