Nellie Issac (1886 – 1955) - artist

With thanks to Historian Debbie Cameron for discovering Nellie for  us

Nellie Elizabeth Isaac was born in 1886 in Hampstead, London, UK, the birth being registered in the third quarter of that year. Her father, Percy Lewis Isaac, was a naval architect and marine engineer. Her paternal Grandfather was the Liverpool artist and lithographer John Raphael Isaac (1809 – 1870), who became medallist to Prince Albert. Her mother – Florence Maud Isaac, nee Alexander – was born in Clapham.   John Raphael Isaac did commercial work for some of the major shipping companies - Holt Shipping Line and the White-Star (Packet) Line (Liverpool-Melbourne). These commissions could explain how his son Percy became a naval architect and shipbuilder.

Nellie’s siblings were Rose Amelia, who also became an artist, and John Robert. According to the 1901 Census, the family lived in Dennington Park Road in West Hampstead. By the 1911 Census Nellie and her sister were both living with their parents, with their occupations listed as artists.

A Performance in the factory Canteen
Theatre

During the First World War, both Nellie and Rose Isaac gave up their art and design business and worked in the factory of Gordon, Watney and Co., Aeronautical Engineers, in Weybridge, Surrey fro two years. 

The factory specialised in the repair and overhaul ofmotor vehicles. The factory’s wartime production included aeronautics and munitions and the factory also worked with the Canadian army in refurbishing some of their vehicles.

The Imperial War Museum came into existence in London in 1917 and in April of that year Agnes Conway – the daughter of the first Honorary Director of the Museum, Sir Martin Conway – was invited to form a Women’s Work Sub-Committee. Nellie Isaac contacted Agnes Conway to contribute some of her work to the effort. 

Receiving the News of the Armistice,
November 11th 1918

Paintings by Nellie Isaac h eld by the Imperial War Museum include:

A Performance in the Factory Canteen Theatre

Factory Tug O’ War 

Receiving the News of the Armistice, November 11th 1918

Armistice Week in the Canteen. November 12th, 1918: A victory dance organized for women workers. Bunting hangs from the ceiling. A large Union Jack at the far end.

Sources:

Find my Past

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468972083412699 – Remembering British Women In WW1 – The Home Front and Overseas created by Debbie Cameron 

https://www.josieholford.com/women-artists-of-ww1-nellie-isaac/

https://matt-houghton.squarespace.com/john-raphael-isaac

NOTE: Debbie Cameron’s Facebook Pages: Remembering British Women in WW1 – The Home Front and Overseas  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468972083412699/

and

RBL Women’s WW1 Remembrance Badge https://www.facebook.com/groups/1767775906637896/

Keith Henderson (1883–1982) – Scottish artist

With thanks to Ognyan Hristov for finding this artist for us

"A Wrecked Railway Bridge
Near The Hindenburg Line
Near Villers Guislain", 1917 

Born in Scotland and brought up in Aberdeenshire and in London, Keith was one of three children born to George MacDonald Henderson, a barrister at Lincoln's Inn, and his wife, Constance Helen, née Keith. He attended Orme Square School in London and Marlborough College, before going on to study art at the Slade School of Art, London and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris.

During the First World War, Keith served as a Captain with the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry on the Western Front. He painted several works while there and also wrote a book about his experiences entitled “Letters to Helen: Impressions of an Artist on the Western Front” which was published in 1917. 'Helen' was his wife - Helen Knox-Shaw – they were married in 1917 at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

"A Twelve-inch Gun", 1917

During the Second World War, Keith Henderson was one of the first two artists, along with Paul Nash, appointed as a full-time salaried artists to the Air Ministry by the War Artists' Advisory Committee, WAAC. Henderson was sent to RAF bases in Scotland.

Rudolf Helmut Sauter (1895 – 1977) – British/German artist, illustrator, poet

Portrait of Rudolf by
his Father Johann Georg Sauter

Rudolf was born on 9th May 1895. His parents were Blanche Lilian, nee Galsworthy and Johann Georg Saunter, an artist from Bavaria in Germany. Educated at Harrow School, Rudolf studied art in London and Munich.  He was also a writer and later joined the PEN Club – founded by British writer Catherine Amy Dawson Scott in 1921. Rudolf’s Mother, Blanche Lilian, was the elder sister of the writer and poet John Galsworthy.  Rudolf illustrated an edition of his Uncle’s work.

During WW1, Rudolf was interned in Alexandra Palace Internment camp, north London, and Frith Hill camp at Frimley, Surrey.

Rudolf showed his work in London, the provinces, Paris at the Salon, where he gained an Hon. Mention, and widely in America. Much of Sauter’s work was destroyed in a fire in the early 1980s, yet a lot is in private hands in South Africa.

A painting by Rudolf Sauter

An Aeroplane viewed from the
Alexandra Palace Internment Camp
Compound 

Rudolf died on 12th June 1977.

Gerald Maurice Burn (1862-1945) - British artist

Gerald Maurice Burn was an artist and engraver. He exhibited at the Royal Academy 1881-1887 and was working on ship portraits in 1915. In the "Evening Post" for 29 January 1913, Page 4, he is described as "an artist residing at Amberley, near Arundel".

Painting of ‘HMAS Australia’, 1913 oil on canvas, signed and dated ‘Gerald M. Burn, 1913'. Artist: Gerald Maurice Burn (British, 1862-1945).

A painting of the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918 by Charles John de Lacy (1856 – 1929)

A painting of the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918 by Charles John de Lacy (1856 –  1929), who was one of the foremost British marine artists of his period. He was especially known for his warship imagery and was regularly commissioned by Elswick, Tyne and Wear shipbuilder W. G. Armstrong Whitworth.

The picture shows HMS Vindictive - a British Arrogant-class cruiser built at Chatham Dockyard. She was launched on 9 December 1897 and completed in 1899.  It looks as though the other vessel may be one of the Mersey Ferries that took part in the Raid.

Early in 1918 HMS Vindictive was fitted out for the Zeebrugge Raid. Most of her guns were replaced by Howitzers, flame-throwers and mortars. On 23 April 1918 she was in fierce action at Zeebrugge when she went alongside the Mole, and her upperworks were badly damaged by gunfire.  Her Captain, Alfred Carpenter, was awarded a Victoria Cross for his actions during the raid. The painting hangs in the Britannia Royal Naval College.

With thanks to the Rev. Nicholas Pye @RevdPye on Twitter for finding this painting.

Photo of Charles John de Lacy in 1909

Photo of Charles John de Lacy in 1909.

Charles was the son of Robert de Lacy, a professor of music, and his wife Eliza, nee Smith. Charles was born in 1856 in Sunderland, County Durham, and grew up in the Bishopwearmouth area of the city.  By 1870 his family had relocated from the North East of England to Lambeth in London.   While in Lambeth he married Alice Harriet Hill in 1880 and they had two daughters, Constance Rosamond De Lacy (b. 1881) and Irene Valerie Cristoforo De Lacy (b. 1901). 

He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1889, having undertaken training at The National Gallery. Magazines such as “The Illustrated London News” were among early patrons.

Charles died in Epsom, Surrey on 13th December 1929.

Stepan Feodorovich Kolesnikov (1879-1955) - Ukrainian artist

Stepan Feodorovich Kolesnikov lived and worked in Tsarist Russia and the USSR.

Three paintings by Stepan found for us by Ognyan Hristov and posted on the Facebook Group

Artists of the First World War https://www.facebook.com/groups/385353788875799

′′ On alert (post) ", 1914, pencil and guash on paper.

′′ Messenger in the Caucasian Mountains ", 1915, ink and guash on cardboard.

“Easter on the front ", 1915/16, pencil and guash on paper.

British artists sent to the South (Macedonian or Thessaloniki) Front. They painted between 1916 and 1918

With thanks to Ognyan Hristov for finding these artists and their work 

and for his help in finding other artists of WW1

1. ′′ The front near the river Vardar ", 1917, watercolor;

Artist: Joseph Denovan Adam Jnr (1881-1935), son of Joseph Denovan Adam (1841-1896).

2. ′′ Hours on post ", 1917, watercolor; 

Artist: Joseph Denovan Adam Jnr (1881-1935)

3. ′′ Close to the positions near Lake Doiran ", 1917, watercolor;

Artist: Robert Houston (1891), Scottish.  Served in the British army in Macedonia in 1917 Located in Thessaloniki, draws numerous watercolors and drawings from the areas of Thessaloniki, Lake Doiran and Belasitsa Mountain.

4. ′′ Transportation of injured in the village of Small ′′ (Aegean Macedonia), 1916, oil;

Аrtist: Sir Stanley Spencer (1891–1959).   24-year-old Spencer was sent to Macedonia with 68th Field Ambulance. In 1917, 1917 he voluntarily transferred to infantry division of 7th Battalion, the Berkshire Regiment.   He fought against German and Bulgarian troops before being disabled by the army after permanent malaria attacks.

5. ′′ Lake Doiran", 1917, watercolor

Artist: Gerard Chowne (1875-1917).   Born in India, Chowne studied at the Slade School from 1893 to 1899, as well as in Rome and Paris. He began to exhibit at the New English Art Club in 1903 and became a member two years later, when he also commenced teaching painting at Liverpool University.  Chowne fought in Macedonia during the Great War, where he was appointed Captain in the 9th East Lancs Regiment.  He was wounded and died in Macedonia from his wounds. During his time in Macedonia, he painted a series of watercolors depicting Thessaloniki, the Macedonian Front and various military scenes.

6. ′′ Down!", 1918, oil (De Havilland 2 single-seater scout, downloads Fokker monoplan in Thessaloniki);

Аrtist: William Thomas Wood (1878 - 1958) – Mentioned in Despatches

During the First World War, William served as an Acting Corporal in the Royal Flying Corps, attached to Salonika Balloon Company where he was a  kite-balloon observer.  William was appointed Official War Artist in The Balkans in 1918.  Because of that, Arthur J. Mann asked William to illustrate his book “The Salonika Front” (A. & C. Black, London, 1920).

The Salonika Campaign.  

From 1915 to 1918, British troops were part of a multi-national Allied force fighting against the Bulgarians and their allies in the Balkans. Although disease and the harsh conditions took a heavy toll, they eventually brought the campaign to a successful conclusion.

If you are interested in the Salonika Campaign of the First World War, why not join the Salonika Campaign Society?  Formed to promote interest in the Salonika Campaign, which was fought in northern Greece, Serbia and Albania from 1915 to 1918, the aim of the Society is to perpetuate the memory of those of all nations who served, whether they were members of the armed forces, medical services or civilian staff.  The Society does not seek to glorify war and is neither politically nor commercially motivated. 

Application for membership is welcomed from anyone of like mind.

https://salonikacampaignsociety.org.uk/