The 1914-18 period saw huge changes at The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) as the School, along with the rest of the country, came to terms with wartime shortages and human losses. At the same time, GSA also grappled with issues surrounding how an art school and its personnel could support the war effort, as well as more profound questions surrounding the relevance of art and its appropriateness in times of conflict. As GSA’s Director Francis Newbery (1855-1946) noted in 1916:

“The brightest colours that Art can assume at the present time, not only fail to attract attention but like a gaily dressed woman at a funeral, mankind wonders that she shows herself at all!”

This paper will examine the actions of the School and specific staff and students both at home and on the front line, including:

• ways in which the School encouraged student recruitment;
• how staff and students utilised their artistic training in their military roles;
• the efforts of those who remained behind to continue their artistic endeavours whilst also supporting their fellow students and colleagues stationed elsewhere;
• how the day to day running of the School was impacted upon by the war.

In doing so, it will explore how the institution, as well as individuals, documented their experiences in both writing and in art, as evidenced in GSA’s rich archives. Much of this information has recently been revealed through two research projects, one focusing on GSA’s WW1 Roll of Honour and one undertaken by artist Rachel Lowther in preparation for her exhibition Nothing compares to the first time getting shot at (Jan-Mar 2016, Reid Gallery, The Glasgow School of Art).