The Cenotaph in Whitehall | Illustrated London News
from the archives of The Illustrated London News
Main menu
Home
Newspapers
The Illustrated War News
The Illustrated London News
The Sphere
The Tatler
The Bystander
The Sketch
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News
The Graphic
Buy the Magazine
Explore
Highlights
Map
Topics
War Artists
Learning
Timeline
Timeline
1914
Franz Ferdinand assassinated
Europe declares war
Recruitment begins
Battle of Mons
Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Aisne
East Coast bombed
1915
Edith Cavell executed
Poison gas introduced
Gallipoli Campaign begins
RMS Lusitania sunk
Munitions Ministry created
1916
Verdun Offensive begins
Battle of Jutland
Somme Offensive begins
1917
USA enters the war
W.A.A.C. established
The Battle of Passchendaele
1918
Rationing introduced
Russian Armistice signed
Operation Michael begins
Hundred Days Offensive
Spanish Flu peaks
Armistice signed
1919
Peace Treaty signed at Versailles
Cenotaph unveiled
About
The ILN at War
Highlights
map
Search
advanced search
Publication
The Illustrated War News
The Illustrated London News
The Sphere
The Tatler
The Bystander
The Sketch
Sporting & Dramatic News
Date
Home
Cenotaph unveiled
Cenotaph unveiled
British soldiers march past the Cenotaph in 1920
Erected in Whitehall as a monument to honour the war dead, the Cenotaph was instantly recognised as a powerful symbol of sacrifice and tribute. Although it was later to become the focal point of annual Armistice Day commemorations, its first ceremonial use was as part of the Victory Day celebrations on the 19th July. The Illustrated London News dedicated a special issue to these celebrations, showing troops marching past the cenotaph, and General Douglas Haig saluting as he rode by on horseback.
Coverage picked up on the personal aspects of this commemoration. The Illustrated London News reported how, on the morning of Victory Day, a group of bereaved relatives visited the cenotaph to lay wreaths at its base: “so their wreaths remained there while the great pageant passed by, silent witnesses to the private grief that underlies all public rejoicings over Victory.” The Cenotaph was a symbol of public tribute, but also provided a focus for more personal forms of grief.
The cenotaph also provided powerful symbolic imagery for artists who wished to depict a nation in the aftermath of the war. One illustration in the ILN, for instance, shows the cenotaph as a scene “where all classes mingled in a common tribute to their fallen heroes.” Another, in The Bystander, gravely considers the enduring legacy of the war, depicting a soldier’s ghost guarding the cenotaph by night.
The original Cenotaph was a temporary construction of wood and plaster designed by the architect Edwin Lutyens. Its popularity was such that a permanent version of the monument was installed the following year. This new stone cenotaph was unveiled on Armistice Day, the 11th November 1920, the same day as the burial of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey.
Click here to access the archives for more article related to the Cenotaph
Browse the Timeline
Current event19/07/1919
Most popular
The Orange and Green: Irish-Canadian Rangers in … 18 views
Oases in Western Egypt from Which British … 16 views
War Prizes: Ships Taken from Germany by … 15 views
The Dead Irish Leader: At the Funeral … 14 views
“The Old Business of Trench-Warfare Has Been … 14 views
A Leader in the Great Crisis in … 14 views
The Greatest of Modern Battlefields: Achi Baba … 14 views
Visited by the Prince of Wales: The … 13 views
Dead on the Field of Honour: Officers … 12 views
Another Monarch in Exile: Ex-King Ludwig of … 12 views
Related articles”The Glorious Dead”: Sir Douglas Haig SalutingThe mood of rejoicing over the victorious end of such a war as we have gone through was tempered, in thousands of hearts, by the remembrance of the dead whose…Tributes to “The Glorious Dead”: The Dawn of Victory DayOne of the most touching scenes of Victory Day took place in the early hours of the dawn, before most Londoners were afoot. A little group of bereaved relatives of…
Find us onTwitter
History Pin
DiscoverTimeline
The ILN at War
War Artists
The Newspapers
Topics
HelpHow to Use This Site
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
CompanyAbout Us
Contact Us
Copyright and Credits
© 2016 Copyright ILN LIMITED. All rights reserved.