Tanks and armoured vehicles have appeared in numerous publications and have become recognisable cultural symbols since their debut, particularly during World War I. Items such as sweetheart brooches, trench art, teapots, and postcards were created for the public, and films like “The Battle of the Ancre and the March of the Tanks” gained popularity. By 1918, tanks were well-established in the public consciousness.
Bovington became the leading tank training site after tanks were first used in action on the Somme in September 1916. Initially, returned tanks were displayed outdoors until poet Rudyard Kipling suggested creating a museum in 1923. This led to establishing a dedicated tank museum that built on the tanks’ cultural significance from the war.
