Wooden Red Cross donation box

Made:
1947 in England
Wooden Red Cross donation box Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1847 by the Hon Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1847 by the Hon Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1847 by the Hon

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1847 by the Hon
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1847 by the Hon
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1847 by the Hon
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1947 by the Hon. Lady Cooper, deputy president, made of burr oak with ebony, holly and mahogany inlay, made in 1947 by Eric Sharpe

In 1863, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Swiss businessman Henry Dunant proposed creating voluntary national relief societies to provide neutral and impartial help in times of war. The founding charter met was drawn up the same year. In 1864, the Geneva Convention was adopted, which is an international agreement to recognise the status of medical services and wounded on the battlefield. The convention also adopted the red cross emblem, an inversion of the Swiss flag. The red crescent emblem was adopted in 1876 and the red crystal in 2005. The symbols show that someone or something is officially connected with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

In 1870, the British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War was formed, following the out break or war between France and Prussia. In 1905, it was renamed as the British Red Cross. The British Red Cross provides both domestic and international emergency assistance, help with cost of living, mobility support, services for refugees, asylum seekers and anyone who requires their help. Volunteers remain a huge part of the Red Cross's work.

Details

Category:
Nursing & Hospital Furnishings
Object Number:
2013-52
Materials:
wood (unidentified)
type:
collecting box
credit:
Transferred from the Balfour Red Cross Museum

Parts

Wooden Red Cross donation box

Wooden Red Cross donation box

Donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1947 by the Hon. Lady Cooper, deputy president, made of burr oak with ebony, holly and mahogany inlay, made in 1947 by Eric Sharpe

More

On the side of the box is words 'Give if thou canst an alms.'

It is likely that the Lady Cooper refered to is Lady Mary Cooper (1858-1948) and her husband Sir George (1856-1940) lived at Hurlsey Park, Hampshire from 1902. She founded an American hospital for officers during the First World War. Mary was an American heiress whose family had made money from railways in the United States.

During the Second World War the house was the home of the Vickers Supermarine plane and their control centre. Since 1958, it has been the home to IBM.

Eric Sharpe (1888-1966), a woodworker associated with the Arts and Crafts movement made this donation box. It was used at the Balfour Red Cross Museum for donations from visitors to keep the museum running. It closed in 2012.

Materials:
wood (unidentified)
Object Number:
2013-52/1
type:
collecting box
Label to encourage donations

Label to encourage donations

Label used to encourage donations, for donation box, presented to Hampshire branch in 1947 by the Hon. Lady Cooper, deputy president

Materials:
paper and wood
Object Number:
2013-52/2
type:
label
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum