Edith Cavell

Edith Cavell couldn’t possibly have imagined that more than one hundred years after her death she would continue to impact the lives of others. Born to relatively meager beginnings, she would become one of the first martyrs of World War I due to her service. The story of her life and work is shrouded by half-truths and legend. Even when all of this is stripped away, the story that remains is one of selflessness, sacrifice, and dedication to duty that deserves to be recognized by successive generations.

Special Collections and Archives at Tompkins-McCaw Library created this exhibit as a companion to the Kay Seidenberg Nursing Postcard Collection available as one of the VCU Libraries’ Digital Collections. Most of the images displayed in this exhibit come from the Seidenberg Collection.