The 54 patriotic wartime crochet laces shown here tell stories of the two long and devastating World Wars in the last century.

The majority of the items were small and simple, often with only a text message.

A few were works of art.

Some were commemorating the lives of a particular soldier or sailors while others were made with a general patriotic sentiment.

They cover a wide range of themes expressed in a great variety of ways.

They show that we want, even need, to remember and honour people and past events.

Commemoration is deeply embedded in us as individuals and in our culture.