Recuperating Collection

Injured soldiers, WW1, 3rd Southern General Hospital, Oxford
Injured soldiers - WW1 - No. 1003 Cowley Section - 3rd Southern General Hospital, Oxford. The importance of light and fresh air in aiding recovery was very prevalent in medical thinking at this time

Des Vaillants; Femme-soldats, blessees dans l'offensive, en traitement dans un hopital... 1917. Creator: Unknown
Des Vaillants; Femme-soldats, blessees dans l'offensive, en traitement dans un hopital militaire, 1917. First World War: Valiants; female soldiers, wounded in the offensive

Invalides!; retour d'allamagne: nos grand-blesses rapatries'. Creator: Unknown
Invalides!; retour d'allemagne: nos grand-blesses rapatries'. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" [L'Illustration, Paris, 1924]

Scene from Ludwig Holberg's The Lying-in Room, 1845. Creator: Wilhelm Marstrand
Scene from Ludwig Holberg's The Lying-in Room, 1845

Ward in General Hospital No 10, formerly Greys College, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 1901. Artist: Underwood & Underwood
Ward in General Hospital No 10, formerly Greys College, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 1901. Casualties of the Boer War recuperating. Stereoscopic card

Princess Victoria (1868 - 1935), fourth child and second daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Recuperating on board the royal yacht HMY Victoria

The Prince of Wales at Biarritz
The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor), travelling as the Earl of Chester, pictured in Biarritz in April 1926

Beside a Sick Woman (oil on canvas)
DSA148320 Beside a Sick Woman (oil on canvas) by Klodt von Jurgensburg, Baron Mikhail Petrovich (1835-1914); Odessa Fine Arts Museum, Ukraine; eOdessa Art Museum; Russian, out of copyright

Interior of the Theatre Francais, 1871 (oil on canvas)
XIR316652 Interior of the Theatre Francais, 1871 (oil on canvas) by Delance, Paul Louis (1848-1924); Musee de la Ville de Paris, Musee du Petit-Palais

A Good Turn - Get Well Soon
A little girl reads a book with an invalid friend who is recuperating in bed. Date: c. 1930

The Convalesence of Bayard, 1816-17 (oil on canvas)
2644223 The Convalesence of Bayard, 1816-17 (oil on canvas) by Revoil, Pierre Henri (1776-1842); 135x177 cm; Louvre, Paris

Wounded British servicemen being served tea and smoking cigarettes in hospital, World War II, 1939-1945 (colour litho)
6030888 Wounded British servicemen being served tea and smoking cigarettes in hospital, World War II, 1939-1945 (colour litho) by English School

Study for The Sleeper, 1863 (black chalk on paper)
617391 Study for The Sleeper, 1863 (black chalk on paper) by Whistler, James Abbott McNeill (1834-1903); 24.4x17.5 cm; Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts

The Convalescent
BAL34342 The Convalescent by Hardy, Frederick Daniel (1826-1911); Josef Mensing Gallery, Hamm-Rhynern, Germany; English, out of copyright

Children at a convalescent home in the Vosges, from a brochure for L
CHT237283 Children at a convalescent home in the Vosges, from a brochure for L Enfance Cooperative, c.1930 (b/w photo) by French Photographer, (20th century); I.N.R.P

The Convalescent, 1872 (oil on panel)
ONT162831 The Convalescent, 1872 (oil on panel) by Tissot, James Jacques Joseph (1836-1902); 37.5x45.7 cm; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada; © Art Gallery of Ontario

Wounded soldiers in pottery class... Devon, First World War, 1914-1918, (1933). Creator: Unknown
Wounded British soldiers in pottery class, Seale Hague Military Hospital, Devon, First World War, 1914-1918, (1933)....soldiers found time hanging dreadfully heavy on their hands

Elizabeth Woodcock - Who was buried in Snow nearly 8 days, 1821. Creator: Robert Cooper
Elizabeth Woodcock - Who was buried in Snow nearly 8 days, 1821. Portrait of Elizabeth Woodcock (born c1757), recuperating in bed after being buried in snow for eight days with no food

King George V conversing with wounded officers, France, World War I, 1916. Artist
King George V conversing with wounded officers, France, World War I, 1916. King George V (1865-1936) visiting the British Expeditionary France during the Battle of the Somme

Injured soldiers recuperating at an American hospital in Paris, France, World War I, 1918

Convalescent soldiers, general hospital no 10, Bloemfontein, South Africa, Boer War, 1901. Reading of the fall of Pretoria

In a British field hospital on the Tugela River, South Africa, 2nd Boer War, 1900. Artist: Underwood & Underwood
In a British field hospital on the Tugela River, South Africa, 2nd Boer War, 1900. Stereoscopic card. Detail

Advert for Foots Burlington adjustable rest-chair, 1916

The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, 19th century. Founded by King Charles II and intended for the succour and relief of veterans broken by age and war

Russian author Leo Tolstoy recovering in Gaspra, Crimea, Russia, 1902. Artist: Sophia Tolstaya
Russian author Leo Tolstoy recovering in Gaspra, Crimea, Russia, 1902. Tolstoy (1828-1910) lived in Gaspra in 1901-1902. Found in the collection of the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy, Moscow

French wounded, auxiliary hospital, Paris, France, World War I, 1914-1918. French postcard

Military canteen, Gare St Lazare, Paris, World War I, 1914-1918. Aid for wounded French servicemen. French postcard

Improvised camel, auxiliary hospital, Rue Lafayette, Paris, France, World War I, 1914-1918. French postcard

French and German wounded in a chateau in France, World War I, 1915. A photograph from Der Grosse Krieg in Bildern

German nurses and patients, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, World War I, 1915. A photograph from Der Grosse Krieg in Bildern

Casualty of the 2nd Boer War, 1899-1902. A wounded British officer in a railway carriage with his wife and daughter on the last lap of his journey home from South Africa

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853-1884), Queen Victorias fourth son and eighth child shown reading. The most academic of the Queens sons, Leopold led a closeted existence due to his haemophilia

White bulldog puppy with two children
A white bulldog puppy with the farmers two children, recovering from his exploits. Date: 1905

A recuperating wounded WW1 soldier gets his comeuppance - initial delights at the idea of a massage from nurse on the Monday turns into stark realisation tat this might not be quite so pleasurable

Prince Leopold, 1872
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (1855-1884) photographed in 1872. Leopold was the fourth son and eighth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

The Ashanti War (1873-74) - On board hospital ship
The so-called bird cage walk. On board the hospital ship Victor Emmanuel. Two invalids read while recuperating during the Ashanti expedition

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"Recuperating: Healing the Wounds of War and Illness" In the aftermath of World War I, injured soldiers found solace and recovery at the 3rd Southern General Hospital in Oxford. Among them was Princess Victoria, daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, who sought respite on board the royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert after her appendicitis operation in 1905. Meanwhile, across Europe, even royalty like the Prince of Wales sought rejuvenation in places like Biarritz. The healing power of nature was not limited to those with noble blood; artists captured scenes such as "Beside a Sick Woman, " depicting compassion towards those battling illness. The arts themselves became a source of comfort during times of convalescence. Paintings like "Interior of the Theatre Francais" transported patients to worlds far from their hospital beds. Similarly, Laurent Tailharde's lithograph depicted his resilience following an anarchist bombing at Restaurant Foyot. Throughout history, recovery has been marked by acts of kindness. In "A Good Turn - Get Well Soon, " well-wishers extended gestures that uplifted spirits. Bayard's convalescence in an oil painting from 1816-17 showcased perseverance amidst adversity. During World War II, wounded British servicemen found solace through simple pleasures like tea and cigarettes while being cared for in hospitals. Their stories echoed earlier depictions such as "Study for The Sleeper, " where rest played a vital role in recuperation. Children too experienced moments of healing at convalescent homes like those depicted in brochures for Lépanges-sur-Vologne's Vosges region. These havens provided nurturing environments where young ones could regain strength and vitality. From soldiers recovering from war wounds to princesses overcoming surgery complications or ordinary individuals fighting illnesses – recuperation is a universal journey towards restoration and renewal. It reminds us that even amid pain or adversity, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow.