When you think of Vogue magazine, what comes to mind? Colorful, shiny covers? Supermodels? Luxurious clothes and accessories?

But, did you know that British Vogue was an important cog in the UK’s defense machine during WWII? In the words of its legendary editor, Audrey Withers, “Here is Vogue, in spite of it all!” - and there was a lot to spite, indeed: nightly bombings, strict rations on all of life’s necessities, and constant destruction, fear, and loss. Yet Vogue persevered, becoming an important tool of government communication to women on the homefront, as well as a crucial instrument of war correspondence as it documented the horrors of German concentration camps, the first use of napalm as a weapon of chemical warfare, and the incredible violence of total warfare.

From wartime fashion to revolutionary female war correspondent, Lee Miller, who dared to scrub off the horrors of WWII in Hitler’s bathtub, Vogue was most definitely there - in spite of it all.

More information about British Vogue, wartime fashion, Audrey Withers, Lee Miller, photos, and sources can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-nV0WjRrLWFET3ISuQQrxZUu-XE6EKWcsAtOOy2zzR8/edit

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Our music is from the album Astral Gate, used with permission of the artists, Lucas Perny and Miroslav Kollar. Audio mixing by DJ Kensington.