Mosquito control at Burnham Beeches

In the early 20th century, mosquito control was undertaken from time to time at Burnham Beeches, a historic woodland estate in Buckinghamshire, England. Estate keepers poured paraffin oil onto stagnant pools of water to eliminate mosquito larvae, a practice captured in a video featured in this exhibition. This method was commonly used across Britain and other regions to manage mosquito populations and reduce the nuisance of bites in areas with ponds and wetlands.

The use of paraffin oil stemmed from scientific advances in the late 19th century, when researchers like Ronald Ross established mosquitoes as vectors for diseases such as malaria. By 1900, it was understood that mosquito larvae thrived in standing water, breathing through siphons that reached the surface. Pouring paraffin oil formed a thin film on the water, suffocating the larvae. At Burnham Beeches, keepers employed this technique to help maintain the estate’s grounds, contributing to a more comfortable environment for visitors and residents.

Globally, paraffin oil was a standard mosquito control method in the early 20th century, notably during the Panama Canal construction (1904–1914), where it helped reduce yellow fever and malaria. Before modern insecticides like DDT, introduced in the 1940s, paraffin oil was a practical and cost-effective solution. At Burnham Beeches, this method was part of periodic estate maintenance, aligning with broader public health practices of the era.

Though effective for small water bodies, the practice was labor-intensive and was later replaced by advanced larvicides and integrated pest management. The video displayed here provides a glimpse into the efforts of Burnham Beeches’ keepers, illustrating a once-common technique used in early 20th-century mosquito control.

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 215, page 16
28 April 1923 

Strawberry Pickers at Fiveways Fruit Farm

In the early 20th century, strawberry picking was a vital seasonal activity on farms near Colchester, Essex, reflecting the region’s deep-rooted agricultural heritage. These 2 girls were among the 150 girls employed to harvest strawberries at a large farm, likely Fiveways Fruit Farm in Stanway, Essex. Established in the 1930s, Fiveways Fruit Farm is a family-owned operation renowned for its strawberry crops, making it the most probable location for this image due to its proximity to Colchester and its prominence in the local fruit industry at the time.

The strawberries harvested at Fiveways were likely used for local consumption, preserves, and possibly supplied to businesses for confectionery, such as chocolate-covered treats or strawberry-flavored chocolates, which were popular in the 1930s. This reflects Essex’s role in supporting Britain’s growing food processing sector. The work of these pickers, often young women, demanded skill and endurance, as they began early in the morning to gather ripe berries under the summer sun, contributing significantly to the local economy.

The practice of strawberry picking was supported by late 19th-century agricultural advancements, which highlighted the value of fresh, locally sourced produce. Farms like Fiveways, located in the fertile lands near Colchester, cultivated varieties such as Elsanta and Hapil, prized for their flavor and suitability for processing. The labor of these pickers connected rural Essex to urban markets, with strawberries playing a key role in the region’s agricultural identity.

Manual harvesting remained common until the mid-20th century, when mechanization and innovations, such as robotic picking trialed in nearby Tiptree by the 2020s, began transforming the industry. This photograph offers a glimpse into the lives of these strawberry pickers at Fiveways Fruit Farm, illuminating their essential contribution to Essex’s agricultural legacy and the early 20th-century food supply chain during a time of economic challenges, including the Great Depression.

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 696, page 16
23 July 1932

Winston Churchill playing a game of polo

Winston Churchill famously dubbed polo “The Emperor of Games,” a phrase that has become closely associated with both Churchill and the sport itself. This quote has been referenced in various polo histories and books about the sport.

Churchill actively partook in the sport for almost thirty-five years, first learning to play during his time at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst from 1893-94.  He first mentions polo in a letter to his father, seeking permission to ride in September 1893, shortly after young Winston had arrived at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. Churchill became avid and passionate about polo, despite physical limitations, he was a determined player.

Churchill's polo career was marked by a significant shoulder injury that affected him for life. At the Bombay quayside he had grabbed an iron hand-hold ring when the boat fell with a sudden surge and he wrenched his shoulder. Continuing to play polo until his fifties, despite having to wear it strapped (the right shoulder) to prevent it 'going out'.

Churchill played polo well into the mid-1920s. In late 1926 Admiral Sir Roger Keyes invited him to an exhibition game while inspecting the fleet. Churchill replied that of course he’d play – humorously adding that “if I expire on the ground it will at any rate be a worthy end!” His wife Clementine understood polo's importance to Churchill, writing to him in 1921, "Politics are absolutely engrossing to you…and now you have painting for leisure and polo for excitement and danger."

His playing style was described as aggressive and tactical: "He rides in the game like heavy cavalry getting into position for the assault. He trots about, keenly watchful, biding his time, a matter of tactics and strategy”.

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 226, page 3
14 July 1923

Two bears play-fighting at Whipsnade Zoo

This amusing video of two bears captures a historic moment at Whipsnade Zoo during its inaugural year. Whipsnade Park Zoo opened on Sunday 23 May 1931. It was the first open zoo in Europe to be easily accessible to the visiting public. The groundbreaking concept of an "open zoo" was revolutionary for its time, moving away from the cramped cages of traditional Victorian zoos to spacious enclosures where animals could roam more freely.

The zoo's opening was an unprecedented success that caught everyone by surprise. It was an immediate success and received over 38,000 visitors on the following Monday. The overwhelming popularity created chaos, as the Morning Post reports the next day – 'WHIPSNADE BESIEGED. Overwhelming rush of people to the new open-air zoo. Traffic facilities break down. For the first time for many years, railway bookings from London were suspended by order of the police authorities.

The brown bear enclosure is a surviving feature from the earliest days of the zoo, and these two bears would have been among the first animals to call Whipsnade home, living in what was then a revolutionary approach to animal housing - spacious, naturalistic environments rather than restrictive cages. Once a derelict farm on the Dunstable Downs, Whipsnade Zoo become a hub for cutting-edge conservation across the globe.

The playful bears in the 1931 photograph represent not just animals at leisure, but the embodiment of a new philosophy in animal care that would influence zoos worldwide. They were living proof that given space and appropriate environments, captive animals could exhibit natural behaviors and thrive in ways previously thought impossible.

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 661, page 9
21 November 1931

Mother and baby Weddell seal nuzzling in the Antarctic

Named after British sealing captain James Weddell, these seals are the southernmost breeding mammals on Earth.

Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) are among Antarctica's most remarkable marine mammals, perfectly adapted to life in the planet's most extreme environment. The relationship between a Weddell seal mother and her pup is intensely close and vital for survival. Mothers give birth to single pups on sea ice during the Antarctic spring (October-November), after an 11-month gestation period. The newborn pups are born with a thick, dark gray to black coat that provides insulation against the frigid Antarctic conditions.

These seals have evolved remarkable adaptations for their icy home. They can dive to depths of over 600 meters and hold their breath for up to 90 minutes while hunting for Antarctic cod, squid, and krill beneath the ice. Their large, forward-facing teeth are specially designed for gnawing breathing holes through sea ice up to two meters thick. Weddell seals can survive in temperatures as low as -40°C (-40°F). Their thick blubber layer and dense fur provide insulation, while their large size helps them retain body heat. They're also one of the few Antarctic animals that remain active throughout the harsh winter months, maintaining breathing holes in the ice even during the darkest, coldest periods.

Weddell seals are considered relatively stable with a population estimated at around 800,000 individuals. However, like all Antarctic wildlife, they face challenges from climate change as shifting ice patterns affect their breeding grounds and food sources. Their dependence on stable sea ice makes them particularly vulnerable to the warming Antarctic environment.

The image of a Weddell seal mother and pup captures one of nature's most tender relationships thriving in one of Earth's most unforgiving environments - a testament to the incredible adaptability and resilience of Antarctic life.

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 215, page 9
28 April 1923

Running in Mitcham for exercise

International athlete Miss Annie Stone, runs and trains two young girls in Mitcham, UK.

Annie Stone was a top British woman sprinter in the late 1920s and early 1930s. At the 1929 WAAA (Women’s AAA) national championships in London she won the silver medal in the 440‑yard dash with a time of 59.2 seconds, equalling the world record, behind Marion King. These results show she was one of Britain’s leading women in the quarter‑mile, competing at the highest level of UK athletics. Contemporary reports also list her in other events (e.g. 880 yds) and note her membership in the Mitcham/London Olympiades athletics clubs, indicating she ran regularly in British women’s meets and inter‑club competitions.

Miss Annie Stone was significant enough in the athletics world that Members of the Mitcham Ladies Athletic club formed a guard of honour at her wedding to Mr Reginald Bale at Christ Church, Mitcham, Surrey on 12 November 1932. Although she retired from top competition around the time she married, Annie was available to encourage young girls to train and demonstrate techniques.

The Mitcham Athletic Club was formed in 1920 and while actively encouraging female athletes the ladies section officially formed in 1926. From around 1932 the club allowed children to be  given training by the older members, in the hope that some future champions may be found. It was was whilst a member of the Mitcham Ladies Athletic club Stone also competed at the Womens Inter-County Sports held at the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea in September 1932, throwing the discus.

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 661, page 1
21 November 1931

Fund raising for the Bristol Royal Infirmary 

In 1932, Britain was in the midst of the Great Depression which severely impacted the funding of healthcare institutions. Hospitals faced significant financial constraints as traditional funding sources from wealthy benefactors, local authorities, and patient fees were drastically reduced. 

Tinfoil (aluminium foil) had significant scrap value in the 1930s, being considered a semi-precious metal and recycling it was economically viable. Hospitals such as the Bristol Royal Infirmary, could sell collected tinfoil to scrap dealers who would melt it down for reuse in manufacturing. Recycling was a common practice across Britain, collecting everything from tinfoil to rags, organizing community drives and involving staff in these essential fundraising activities. Tinfoil was also collected for other charitable causes such as children’s welfare and war veterans, which made it a familiar and socially acceptable practice. 

Bristol in the 1930’s was a heavily industrialised city with shipping, tobacco, and engineering at its heart. All the while, unemployment and poverty were widespread, especially in the docks and working-class areas. Before the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948, British hospitals relied heavily on charitable donations, patient fees, and creative fundraising schemes. The economic crisis of the early 1930s made these alternative revenue streams essential for survival. 

The image of nurses packing tinfoil into sacks represents an era when healthcare institutions had to be remarkably resourceful and when every nurse, patient, and community member was expected to contribute to the hospital's sustainability in whatever way they could manage. 

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 680, page 3 
2 April 1932 

Elephants, mammoths and ivory 

In January 1923, The Children’s Newspaper reported that the Natural History Museum had acquired a rare Siberian mammoth skull with six-foot tusks still attached to the jaw, even with traces of dried skin. Mammoth remains have been discovered all over Great Britain and Ireland but usually only in fragments, which made this skull an important and exciting find. 

The newspaper also reported that the smallest elephant ever seen in captivity, a 36-inch pygmy elephant, was being sent to the United States. The article explained that Americans had more money for natural curiosities than “poor England” could spare. A two page pictorial spread highlighted photographs of animals in African forests, including elephants, and readers were told how elephants could be tamed when treated kindly. 

In November 1924, a “great” sale of ivory at the London Docks was reported. The sale consisted mostly of elephant tusks from Africa and some mammoth tusks from Siberia. Reports estimated the mammoth tusks to be around 50,000 years old, with some weighing as much as 160 pounds. A later edition in 1932 described how elephants were beginning to be preserved in some parts of the world, while in other regions they were still regarded as pests. An image of an African elephant charging out of the forest featured on the front page of the photogravure supplement. 

Today, we look back on these reports with a different perspective. The ivory trade, so casually described in the 1920s, is now recognised as having contributed to the decline of elephant populations. Modern laws worldwide have since banned elephant ivory, reflecting a shift from exploitation to protection, while the legal trade in mammoth ivory remains controversial.

The photographs in The Children’s Newspaper show not only a fascination with mammoths and elephants, but also how our values have changed. Where ivory was once prized, today elephants are valued for their lives and the wild world they represent.

Image from:
The Children's Newspaper, number 296, page 3 
15 November 1924 

A New Light for Safer Seas 

In the early twentieth century, Trinity House introduced a major innovation to maritime safety: the petroleum vapour lamp. By 1924, this technology was transforming lighthouse and buoy illumination, providing a powerful, reliable light for the treacherous British coastline. 

Unlike the traditional wick lamps that had guided mariners for centuries, petroleum vapour lamps used pressurised kerosene (paraffin) that was hand-pumped to around 65 pounds per square inch, forcing the fuel through a vaporiser where it was mixed with air and burned. This process produced a brilliant incandescent mantle flame, far brighter and steadier than earlier systems. The resulting light, concentrated through a Fresnel lens, could be seen for 20–28 nautical miles with its range limited only by the curvature of the Earth and weather conditions. 

The introduction of these lamps required skilled keepers and engineers, as small adjustments in burner height or position could mean the difference between a perfectly focused beam and wasted light scattered into the night sky. Their installation on buoys was especially challenging, often taking place in rough waters, but the resulting improvement in navigational safety made the effort worthwhile. 

Petroleum vapour lamps remained in service well into the mid-twentieth century, bridging the crucial period between oil-wick illumination and the widespread electrification of lighthouses. Beyond the UK, similar lamps were adopted in lighthouses and coastal stations around the world, influencing global maritime navigation and safety standards. 

These lamps represent not only a technological leap but also a moment in history when human ingenuity made coasts safer for mariners, fishermen, and passengers alike. Today, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of navigational science and the everyday labour that kept the lights shining. 

Image from 
The Children's Newspaper, number 252, page 1 
12 January 1924