Antonio Sant'Elia (1888 – 1916) – Futurist architect born in Italy

Antonio Sant'Elia was born in Como, Lombardy, Italy on 30th April 1988.  His parents were Luigi Sant’Elia, a barber in Como (1845-1914) and Cristina Panzillo (Capua 1848-Como 1922).

In 1903 after graduating from Cantù technical school, Antonio entered an art and craft school the Castellini Scuola di Arti e Mestieri in Como. 

At the age of nineteen he moved to Milan and studied at the Brera Academy in Milan with Giuseppe Mentessi, and then at the University of Bologna, where he graduated in architecture in 1912. 

Antonio's first job was site manager for the completion works on the Villoresi Canal, which meant he was able to view the hydroelectric power station of Vizzola Ticino. He then moved on to work as building design assistant at the Municipal Town Planning department for the city. He opened a design office in Milan and became involved with the Futurist movement after meeting Filippo Tommaso Marinetti.

From 1912 to 1914, influenced by the United States urban landscape as well as by architects such as Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, and Renzo Picasso, Antonio started working on a series of sketches for a futurist "Città Nuova" ("New City") designed to symbolize a new age. 

Along with other Futurists such as Mario Sironi, Umberto Boccioni and Marinetti, Antonio joined the Italian army as Italy entered The First World War on the side of the Allies in 1915. He was killed during the Eighth Battle of the Isonzo, near Gorizia, in 1916.

NOTE: Between the end of May 1915 and the end of October 1917, the 93-kilometre stretch of land along the Soča (Isonzo) River saw twelve battles between Austro-Hungarian and Italian forces. The Austro-Hungarian 5th army defending the territory along the line Rombon-Bovec (Plezzo)-Tolmin (Tolmino)-Sabotin-Gorica (Gorizia)-Kras (Karst)-Devin was under the command of Svetozar Borojević von Bojna, while the Italian army was lead by Count Luigi Cadorna. In the course of two and a half years, there were eleven Italian offensives and one Austro-Hungarian/German offensive (Caporetto Breakthough).

Francisque Poulbot (1879 – 1946) – French artist, poster designer (affichiste), draughtsman and illustrator

Francisque was the oldest of seven children.  His parents were lecturers.

He studied art and from 1900, his drawings started to be published in the press. He moved to Montmartre where, in February 1914, he married Léona Ondernard, before leaving for the Front. However, he was sent home the following year. 

Francisque designed posters and also wrote stories about Parisian street urchins - (called 'titis' in Parisian slang). The pair were drawn in 1913 and called Nénette et Rintintin. The little cartoon couple became famous throughout France during WW1 because of a popular song and people made little dolls representing the couple with pieces of left-over knitting wool – these were given out as good luck charms, especially to soldiers leaving for the Front. 

Paris was not occupied during WW1 but it was during WW2 and Francisque Poulebot was placed under house arrest for designing patriotic posters, cartoons and cards during WW1.

Francisque died on 16th September 1946, in Paris

Additional information:

LES GOSSES DANS LES RUINES  _IDYLLE DE GUERRE_

 L'ÉDITION FRANÇAISE ILLUSTRÉE  PARIS--30, rue de Provence, 30—PARIS

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39774/39774-0.txt

https://lesserknownartists.blogspot.com/2014/05/rin-tin-tin-puppy-that-became-film-star.html

Marcel Santi (1897 – 1986) - French artist

With thanks to Dani Stopsel via Facebook whose post of a WW1 drawing by Marcel Santi led to my research

Marcel joined the French Army’s 2nd Infantry Regiment (42e régiment d’infanterie or 42e RI) during the First World War and was sent to the Western Front.  Marcel was a veteran of the Battle of Verdun* and he sketched the lives of his fellow soldiers in the Trenches during WW1.

The 2nd Infantry Regiment (42e régiment d’infanterie or 42e RI) was an infantry regiment of the French Army, raised in 1635 as the 'Régiment de Calvisson'. It was renamed the 1638 'Régiment de Montpezat' in 1638 and the 'Régiment du Limousin' in 1684, before first gaining its numeral of 42 in 1791. During the First World War it was nicknamed the 'As de Carreau' (Ace of Diamonds), since it was part of the 'Division des As' (a nickname for the 14th Infantry Division). The Regiment was disbanded in 1991.

Sources:

Original source  - with thanks to Dani Stopsel via Racebook who posted this image by Marcel Santi in remembrance of Verdun 

https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Marcel-Santi/ADDA5FD39C909A19/Biography

http://www.kaiserscross.com/136501/home.html

https://forum.pages14-18.com/viewtopic.php?t=54720

https://www.maison-heinrich-heine.org/culture/2018/novembre/marcel-santi-1897-1986-carnets-de-balles-et-de-voyage-1643?lang=fr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42nd_Infantry_Regiment_(France)

*NOTE;  The Battle of Verdun (French: Bataille de Verdun;  German: Schlacht um Verdun) was fought from 21st February to 18th December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The Battle  of Verdun was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse.

Rin Tin Tin the puppy that became a film star

I'm working on a panel for the Fascinating Facts of the Great War section of my Exhibitions - it's about Rin Tin Tin, the famous German Shepherd Dog movie star - and I thought you might like to know how Rin Tin Tin got his name... 

The original Rintintin was one of a pair of Parisian street urchins ('titis' in Parisian slang) drawn as a cartoon by French Artist Francisque Poulbot in 1913 and called Nénette et Rintintin. The little cartoon couple became famous throughout France during WW1 because of a popular song and people made little dolls representing the couple out of bits of left-over wool.  Paris was not occupied during WW1 but it was during WW2 when the artist who drew Nénette et Rintintin was put under house arrest for designing patriotic posters, cartoons and cards during WW1.

The drawings and song depicted the couple as escaping unscathed from the various bombardments that Paris was subjected to during the First World War, so they were made into good luck charms and also brooches and distributed widely. The artist designed a postcard with the woollen dolls pictured on it with a little poem and these were sent to troops at the Front for luck, which may be how Lee Duncan knew about them.

Rin Tin Tin was found by an American Army Corporal called Lee Duncan in a bombed out kennels in Lorraine in the east of France (which back then was under Germany rule) in August 1918.   The kennels had bred guard dogs for supply to the German Army.    The story goes that there was a German Shepherd bitch still alive in the kennels and she had just given birth to six puppies. Duncan rescued them and took them back to his Regiment's camp to look after them - the puppies were so tiny they apparently hadn't opened their eyes. 

Once they were weaned, Duncan chose two puppies for himself - a male and female - and called them Nanette and Rin Tin Tin.  He took them back to America with him after the War - Nanette died but Rin Tin Tin survived.  Lee Duncan trained his dog and the rest, as they say, is history.   Rin Tin Tin lived until 1932, starred in 27 films and even had his own radio show from 1930 - 1932.  Duncan took the body of his dog back to Paris where Rin Tin Tin is buried.   There were eleven more dogs, reportedly related to the original Rin Tin Tin, after his death and a TV film series was also made using his name.

Sources:  Sources:  www.nenette.tm.fr and www.malraux.org

Note: “titis” is a word in Parisian slang meaning ‘street children’.   For fans of “Les Miserables”, Gavroche is a ‘titi’.   "Titi"is also the name used in France for Tweetie Pie the cartoon character.

Photo:  Google Images.

William George Leney (1891 - ?) – British commercial artist

Found on Twitter posted by Canadian & British Photos & Postcards @CanMilPostcards

Liverpool born William Leney was apparently a commercial artist living in Victoria B.C., Canada when the First World War broke out. He joined the 88th Battalion. Following serious leg wounds in August of 1917, he was seconded to the Canadian Forestry Corps. Leney did the artwork for a series of postcards in the First World War. 

The 88th (Victoria Fusiliers) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, the unit began recruiting in the autumn of 1915 in that city.

I cannot find out much about William in spite of extensive research.  I don’t know when he went to Canada.  He appears to have beeen living in the UK in Norfolk in 1921 and travelled to Australia during the 1920s.  He described himself on the Census forms as a Commercial Artist.  

I found a reference to a William George Leney living in Exeter, Devon, UK who died on 27th September 1969 but I don’t know if that is the artist.   If anyone has any definite information please get in touch. 

William George Leney was born in West Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, UK on 12th January 1891 to George Leney and his wife, Margaret J. Leney, nee Carter. 

William George Leney married Janetta Carter and the couple had 2 children.

Artwork by William
George Leney

Sources:  Find my Past, 

https://x.com/CanMilPostcards 

Canadian & British Photos & Postcards @CanMilPostcards

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/6005217

https://worldwarzoogardener1939.wordpress.com/2019/06/14/pilotless-planes-15-june-1944/