Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

W. W. I SET (2)

Date

1919

Materials

CHINAWARE

No. Pieces

2

Description

.1 22.9 CM WTH. X 22.9 CM LTH. BEIGE WITH GOLD COLOURED TRIM. OUTER EDGE IS EMBOSSED WITH LEAF AND FLORAL PATTERN. CARTOON IS OF A SOLDIER DISARMING AN ARTILLERY SHELL. GLAZE IS DRY AND CRACKING. STAMPMARK ON BOTTOM: "A SOUVENIR OF THE GREAT WAR COMMENCED AUG. 4TH, 1914 ARMISTICE NOV. 1TH, 1918, PEACE SIGNED JUNE 28, 1919 SOLE MAKERS GRIMWADES, LTD. STOKE ON TRENT. ENGLAND". ON FACE IS BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER CARTOON ENTITLED: "GIVE IT A GOOD 'ARD' UN BERT: YOU CAN GENERALLYEAR' EM FIZZING A BIT FIRST IF THEY ARE AGOIN TO EXPLODE". .2 22.9 CM WTH. X 22.9 CM LTH. BEIGE WITH GOLD COLOURED TRIM. OUTER EDGE IS EMBOSSED WITH LEAF AND FLORAL PATTERN. PICTURE IS OF DISGRUNTLED SOLDIER EATING 'PLUM AND APPLE' SAUCE WITH BREAD. STAMPMARK ON BOTTOM A SOUVENIR OF THE GREAT WAR COMMENCED AUG. 4TH, 1914 ARMISTICE NOV. 11TH, 1918, PEACE SIGNED JUNE 28, 1919 SOLE MAKERS GRIMWADES, LTD. STOKE ON TRENT. ENGLAND". ON FACE IS A BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER CARTOON ENTITLED: "WHEN THE 'ELL IS IT GOIN' TO BE STRAWBERRY?"

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

MILITARY

COMMEMORATIVE

History

*UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING A PAINTING BY BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER, WHOSE CARTOONS ARE REPRODUCED ON THESE PLATES. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY ON THE ARTIST, BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER, WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM SPARTACUS EDUCATIONAL ONLINE: BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER WAS BORN IN MURREE IN THE PUNJAB PROVINCE OF PAKISTAN ON JULY 9, 1888. HIS FATHER, THOMAS BAIRNSFATHER, WAS A LIEUTENANT IN THE BENGAL INFANTRY. HE ATTENDED SCHOOL IN INDIA AND STRATFORD-UPON-AVON. BAIRNSFATHER INITIALLY JOINED THE BRITISH ARMY WHEN HE CAME OF AGE, BUT FOUND ARMY LIFE BORING AND ENROLLED AT THE HASSALL SCHOOL OF ART. AFTER GRADUATING HE WORKED IN ADVERTISING, PRODUCING POSTERS FOR PRODUCTS INCLUDING LIPTON TEA, PLAYER'S TOBACCO, BEECHAMS AND FLOWERS BEER. AT THE ONSET OF WWI BAIRNSFATHER REJOINED THE ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT AND WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT. HE WAS PUT IN CHARGE OR A MAXIM MACHINE GUN SECTION, AND SAW ACTION ON THE WESTERN FRONT. BAIRNSFATHER WAS SO SHOCKED BY TRENCH LIFE HE REFUSED TO TAKE LEAVE, FEARING THAT ONCE HE LEFT, IT WOULD BE TOO DIFFICULT TO RETURN. DURING THE CHRISTMAS OF 1914, HE WAS NEARLY COURT-MARTIALED AFTER JOINING GERMAN SOLDIERS IN WHAT LATER BECAME KNOWN AS THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE. WHILE ON THE WESTERN FRONT, BAIRNSFATHER DREW PICTURES OF TRENCH LIFE THAT WERE PUBLISHED IN THE BYSTANDER MAGAZINE. IN 1915, DURING THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES, HE WAS EXPOSED TO CHLORINE GAS AND WOUNDED BY A SHELL EXPLOSION. DURING HIS CONVALESCENCE AT LONDON GENERAL HOSPITAL, BAIRNSFATHER PRODUCED WEEKLY DRAWINGS FOR THE BYSTANDER, WHICH WERE LATER INCLUDED IN HIS BOOK SERIES CALLED 'FRAGMENTS FROM FRANCE'. AFTER REGAINING HIS HEALTH, CAPTAIN BAIRNSFATHER WAS SENT TO TRAIN NEW RECRUITS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT. DURING THIS PERIOD, HE CREATED HIS SIGNATURE CARTOON CHARACTER, OLD BILL. HIS CARTOONS WERE EXTREMELY POPULAR WITH SOLDIERS IN THE TRENCHES, AND OLD BILL APPEARED IN MANY FORMS, INCLUDING PLAYS, MUSICALS, FEATURE FILMS, COMIC STRIPS, AND ON POTTERY, PLAYING CARDS, POSTCARDS AND OTHER MERCHANDISE. AFTER THE WAR, BAIRNSFATHER TOURED ON THE SUCCESS OF OLD BILL, VISITING VETERAN'S LEGIONS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA. DURING WWII HE WAS APPOINTED AS AN OFFICIAL CARTOONIST TO THE AMERICAN FORCES IN EUROPE. BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER DIED OF COMPLICATIONS RESULTING FROM CANCER TREATMENTS ON SEPTEMBER 29, 1959. SEE PERMANENT FILE P20000047006 FOR HARDCOPY OF BAIRNSFATHER'S BIOGRAPHY AND EXCERPTS FROM HIS BOOK 'BULLETS AND BILLETS' (1916) AND HIS RECOLLECTIONS ON THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE AND THE BATTLE AT YPRES.

Catalogue Number

P19651930000

Acquisition Date

1965-09

Collection

Museum

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