U of T experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier
The letter and flower, mailed by Harold Wrong to his brother in 1916, were donated to the University of Toronto Archives in the 1960s (courtesy U of T Libraries)
Published: November 8, 2024
Harold Wrong was a First World War soldier who sent one last letter to his brother Murray on June 30, 1916. It contained a single pressed flower and one line: "All well with me."
The next day marked the Battle of the Somme and Wrong, who had graduated from University College just three years earlier, was never seen alive again.
The letter and flower were donated to the University of Toronto Archives and the identity of the flower has been a mystery – until now.
Using new and emerging technologies and working with botanists and scholars beyond the university, U of T librarians, archivists and researchers from U of T Mississauga’s Old Books, New Science lab have solved the mystery of the 108-year-old Somme flower.
“In academia, we’re always curious and we always want to know things,” says Loryl MacDonald, associate chief librarian for special collections and director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. “And to think that a pressed flower like that is 108 years old and survived that long! The fact that the family had preserved the flower for so long is very touching.”
To those who ask why the type of flower matters, Jessica Lockhart, head of research at the Old Books New Science lab says, “Well, if you know the flower, you know more about Harold. You understand why he found it beautiful and why he wanted to share it.
“And that’s an important detail that tells us so much more about his final message.”
Read the complete story of the Somme Flower at U of T Libraries
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