The Last Tea by Higgins
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The Last Tea by Higgins
Swiftly fled each honey d hour Spent with military male; Metropole became a bower Cecil an Arcadian vale. A rather mournful female clerical worker or secretary takes her last cup of tea of her wartime job. The implication is that she has enjoyed working with handsome military men (!) and the rhyme alludes to the number of London hotels that were requisitioned for military purposes during the Great War. Date: 1919
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Media ID 14171288
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Aftermath Clerk Clerks Employment Higgins Jobs Leaving Office Reginald Role Roles Secretary Staff Officers Secretarial
EDITORS COMMENTS
The Last Tea" by Reginald Higgins: A Melancholic Farewell to the Wartime Office This poignant photograph print, titled "The Last Tea," captures a moment of quiet reflection and nostalgia as a female clerical worker takes her final sip of tea in her wartime office. The year is 1919, and the aftermath of the First World War is palpable in the air. The once bustling Metropole, now a shadow of its former self, has become a bower for the weary and the wistful. The scene is set in a London office, where the sound of typewriters and the clatter of papers have been replaced by an eerie silence. The room, filled with the remnants of military paraphernalia, serves as a reminder of the men who once occupied it - handsome, military officers who had briefly graced the halls of this once mundane workplace. The rhyme in the title alludes to the numerous London hotels that were requisitioned for military purposes during the Great War. The "honey-d hours" spent with these officers have come to an end, leaving the secretary with a sense of longing and melancholy. The woman, dressed in a simple yet elegant blouse and skirt, cradles her teacup in her hands, her expression a mixture of sadness and contentment. Her eyes are fixed on the emptying cup, as if reliving the memories of the past. The cup, a symbol of comfort and routine, represents the end of her wartime role and the beginning of a new chapter in her life. This poignant image by Reginald Higgins offers a glimpse into the lives of women who played a crucial role in the war effort, providing administrative support to the military machine. Their stories, like this photograph, serve as a reminder of the sacrifices and the resilience of the human spirit during times of conflict.
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