Exhibits

Messages by Wire: Telegrams from the Time of the First World War

During the First World War, telegrams were the fastest way to send written communication. Telegrams were used by governments and war correspondents needing to communicate quickly and efficiently. They were often used to send notice of a soldier’s death, capture or wounding.  Soldiers sent telegrams to let their families know of their travels or that they had survived a battle.

Telegrams, also known as wires or cables, were expensive to send which meant messages were brief, some words were shortened and ‘unnecessary’ words were left out.  One hundred years later, telegrams provide an interesting comparison to current forms of fast, abbreviated communications.

The 20 telegrams featured here have been chosen from several collections of records at the Archives.  Each was sent during the First World War.  They include personal telegrams, often with news of Manitoba soldiers at the front; government telegrams from the files of Manitoba Premier T.C. Norris; and telegrams sent to the Canadian Press from war correspondent J.F.B. Livesay.