83 14 15 6 17 18 The GreatWar The dailiness of these diaries often takes on a laconic tone, asking us to read between the lines and feel what the diarist has omitted—the underlying recuperative power of emotional connection. Moreover, as ephemera that survived the war in or close to the frontline, soldiers’ diaries are physical objects that tell stories. Whatever the format, the pages speak of the conditions in which the writer penned the entries — exhibiting tattered edges, smudges, faint ink, and rubbing out of a pencil. These journals often incorporate ephemera such as newspaper clippings, photographs, sketches, and drawings. Flowers are particularly moving, reminding us also of the ephemerality of life (Figure 13 and Figure 14). Through the lens of the war diary, the Operation Canada Digital War Diaries Project ultimately strives to reshape twentyfirst century understanding of the First World War by highlighting the contributions of Figure 14 Ruth Loggie, Pressed maple leaf, on diary page dated January 25-27, 1915. Diary of Ruth Loggie, 1915-1916, Digital Frame 7, The Operation Canada Digital War Diaries Project, MLC Research Centre, Toronto. Courtesy of Provincal Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton.
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