WW1 SCRAPBOOK. ~ The Great War.
An imaginatively illustrated early WWI commonplace book full of manuscript music, sketches, watercolours and decoupage. 46 pp. of manuscript and drawings, plus some blanks at intervals. 20.8 x 17.8 cm. Sq. 8vo., in an original turn of the century blank autograph album of green cloth in a lattice pattern, decorated in gilt, sympathetically rebacked and reinforced with green cloth, original glazed cream cloth endpapers.
A perfect example of the patriotism and sense of common cause with allies apparent at the beginning of WWI, as well as awareness of the horror of war principally caused by the German attacks. The poems and songs are highly patriotic including work by Rudyard Kipling, H.W. Bliss, Tennyson, Jamers Bernard Fagan, amongst many others. There is a parody of the Walrus and the Carpenter highlighting the casual inhumanity of the Germans towards Belgium...”The time has come” the Emperor said/”Humanity to stun/And show our culture to the world/With sword and bomb and gun!”?The Crown Prince answered nothing but/Looting is always fun.”
There are faces of the fallen cut out from the paper and put into a hand drawn ‘Roll of Honour’, drawing and poems to ‘The British Tommy’., a celebration of the Indian contribution to the effort with cut out images of three heroic Maharajahs, several sketches in pen and ink and watercolour and the manuscript poems are illuminated with red inked initials and borders. A perfect insight into British patriotism and attitudes at the time highlighting the British sympathy for the Belgians, loathing of the Germans, gratitude to their allies and Indian troops etc.