Bruce Collection (#15)

Putting the Screw on by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
The above exclusive photograph (received via Amsterdam and Singapore) shows clearly the consternation in German official circles on receipt of the amended armistice terms for February, in which 1

C est la Guerre by Bruce Bairnsfather
There were times when I wished Prussian Militarism hadn t forced me to visit America. A young man on board an ocean liner suffers from sea sickness. Date: 1919

Demobilisation by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
Owing to demobilisation not exactly synchronising with the taking back of the Hotel Terrific by the management, General Sir Claude Cumbersome has to deal with a lot of returns under most impossible

Bystander masthead featuring Old Bill by Bruce Bairnsfather
Masthead of The Bystander magazine featuring characters on a London tube train (or bus?) drawn by some of the magazines most regular artistic contributors

No Joke! by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather post- WW1 cartoon
The Censor has been most kind to me throughout the war. I have made the above drawing simply out of gratitude. I have also omitted the joke, thus ensuring complete approval

Arthur Bourchier as Old Bill, Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1
Arthur Bourchier in the role of Old Bill, the popular character created by Bruce Bairnsfather. Bourchier played the part in the original production of The Better Ole

Second-Lieut. Mabel, by Bairnsfather
Second-Lieut. Mabel Smells Powder (No novelty) " There you are Bert; I told you we d ave em ere before we d finished." Bairnsfathers popular characters, Old Bill and Bert

Fish and Chip, by Bairnsfather
" Now, then, you two, theres nothing more till 4.30" (Old Bill is not going to the zoo again). A cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather featuring his popular character Old Bill

Old Bills War-Aim, by Bairnsfather
" To live to see a day like this" A cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather featuring his popular character Old Bill. The cartoon appeared in a special War Aims issue of The Bystander

At the Brewery Baths by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
" You chuck another sardine at me, my lad, and you ll hear from my solicitors." High jinks in a brewery on the Western Front utilised as a baths for British soldiers

HMS Bruce, British flotilla leader and destroyers
HMS Bruce (D81), British Admiralty type (Scott class) flotilla leader, with W-class destroyers HMS Wild Swan (D62) and HMS Wishart (D67), at Wei Hai Wei, China. Date: circa 1920s

A Visit to the Alpini - 19? by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1
The war was over some time ago, but this man hasn t heard about it yet, and nobody can get up to tell him. His sniping is therefore very annoying to that Austrian village in the valley

Old Bill in Mesopotamia, Nobodies Concert, WW1
A leading member of " The Nobodies" Concert Party for entertaining troops in Mesopotamia, impersonating Old Bill the lead character in the popular cartoons of Captain Bruce Bairnsfather in

Bairnsfather with the American Army, WW1 cartoon
" I know we re fightin for Democracy, but the next time the Colonel comes around, salute, you ______ son of a ______!" An American sergeant disciplines Date: 1918

A Visit to the Alpini by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
You might think the Austrians were safe on top of a place like this - but they re not. Cartoon by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather in The Bystander showing three Austrian soldiers staked out atop a

My Visit to the Italian Front by Bruce Bairnsfather
(Left picture): A Visit to the Alpini: " The chauffeur says a car fell over here last week" " Oh!" Autobiographical cartoon from Captain Bruce Bairnsfather in The Bystander

Through Mud to Victory by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
Private 90045 Gerrard, after three-quarters of a mile of this, sincerely hopes it won t be a dud. A private British soldier struggles through the mud

Lead Kindly Light by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
" Yes, I know the roads rotten; but I m sure this habit of Sec.-Lieut. Smiths of finding his way back to billets with his private repeating Verey pistol (that his aunt sent him)

Romance - 1917 by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
" Darling, every potato that I have is yours" (Engaged). Cartoon in The Bystander by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather showing a couple locked in an embrace having agreed to get engaged

If Only They d Make Old Bill President of those Tribunals
" well, whats your job, me lad?" " Making spots for rocking-horses, sir" " Three months" " Exemption, sir

Out by Bruce Bairnsfather, 1919
And may he never be " called up" again! Father Christmas casts off the uniform and weapons of First World War soldiering

Makes you F(i)ume, doesn t it? by Bruce Bairnsfather
If only OUR National Poet would take Heligoland and refuse to leave it until its ours! Caricature of George Robey (1869-1954), music hall entertainer and comedian, pictured refusing Heligoland

Where Did That One Go by H. M. Bateman
(With innumerable apologies to Captain Bruce Bairnsfather) An irate golfer on the green struggling to make contact with the ball drawn by H. M

A Wetter Ole by Bruce Bairnsfather
" Well, we knows of a better olevitch, and we re blinkin well goin to it!" Old Bill and his comrade find themselves in a similar ole to the one they originally made famous in Captain Bruce

Why M. C. A. ? by Bruce Bairnsfather
Why M.C.A.? A cartoon by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather showing a group of German soldiers in front of a Y.M.C.A. hut, with the caption... One of those unfortunate photographs

The Better Ole
A scene from the play The Better Ole, co-written by Bruce Bairnsfather and featuring his popular character, Old Bill, which opened at the Oxford Music Hall on 4 August 1917

Vive l Entente! by MacMichael
" Lumme, there wouldn t arf be a scandal if the Capting or Mr Kirchner knew that you an me come out of our frames for a smoke

Bruce Bairnsfather releases - WW1 film cartoon
The Military Cross a pulsating military drama in two reels. Humorous pictorial trailer for a possible war film imagined by Bystander cartoonist, Captain Bruce Bairnsfather. Date: 1917

Envy at the Chateau, by Bairnsfather
" Bit of alright, bein one of these ere dukes, Bert, and ave a bed like this to sleep in" A cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather featuring the character of Old Bill

Dear -------- at present we are staying at a farm
While being surrounded by died cattle and a derelict barn, two soldiers decided to rest and write a letter home

Watch me make a fire-bucket of is elmet
Two British soldiers have a couple minutes to practise shooting

Lady Scott with her son Peter at Natural History Museum
Lady Scott, formerly Kathleen Bruce, sculptor and wife of Captain Scott, fulfilling her late husbands wishes by teaching and instilling an interest in natural history in their son, Peter, who would

The Cast of the Better Ole - Bruce Bairnsfather play, WW1
Arthur Bourchier (centre) and cast pose in costume at the time they were playing in The Better Ole at the Oxford Theatre, London which was based on the cartoons of Bruce Bairnsfather published in The

Immediate and Important by Bairnsfather
Immediate and Important Never has Private Smiths face felt so large and smooth as when he hands his Captain the following message at what he feels is an unsuitable moment. " The G.O.C

Seeing themselves as Bairnsfather sees them
A homage to the cartoons of Bruce Bairnsfather in The Bystander, drawn by an amateur soldier artist, Major D. de la C. Ray

Nobbled, by Bairnsfather
Nobbled " Ow long are you up for, Bill?" " Seven years" " Yer lucky-, I m duration" Two British soldiers, Old Bill and Bert

General Sir Bruce Hamilton, 1915
General Sir Bruce Meade Hamilton KCB (1857-1936), British Army General during World War I. Date: 1915

Bystander cover - Derby scheme attesting Bairnsfather
Front cover of The Bystander magazine featuring an illustration by Fred Buchanan which is a pastiche of Bruce Bairnsfathers famous The Better Ole cartoon (in the same magazine)

Walking cane with solid silver Bairnsfather Old Bill ha
A walking cane with a solid silver Bruce Bairnsfather Old Bill handle. Copyright Registered Number 669204. Bairnsfather Ware

Head and shoulders study of Alf smoking - Bairnsfather
Head and shoulders study of Alf smoking, signed and inscribed A fragment from Bruce Bairnsfather. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, 1St Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1888-1959)

Old Bill smoking a pipe - ALL THE BEST FROM OLD BILL
Portrait of Old Bill smoking a pipe and inscribed ALL THE BEST FROM OLD BILL & BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER.. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, 1St Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1888-1959)

Ole Bill printed fabric doll with wood and button detail, representing the First World War character by Bruce Bairnsfather

Bert warming himself by a brazier.. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, 1St Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1888-1959)

Coiffure in the trenches. Keep yer ead still or I ll ave yer blinkin ear off !. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, 1St Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1888-1959)

A collection of 8 Bruce Bairnsfathers magazines bound together in one volume. This comprises Fragments from France, More Fragments from France, Still More Fragments from France, No

No Possible Doubt Whatever
NO POSSIBLE DOUBT WHATEVER. Sentry : Alt ! Who goes there He of the bundle : You shut yer.mouth, or I ll.come and knock yer.head off ! Sentry : Pass, friend !. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, 1St Btn

Keeping his Hand In
KEEPING HIS HAND IN. Private Smith, the company bomber, formerly Shino, the popular juggler, frequently causes considerable anxiety to this platoon. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, 1St Btn

That Evening Star-Shell
THAT EVENING STAR-SHELL. Oh, star of eve, whose tender beam falls on my spirits troubled dream.Wolframs Aria in Tannhauser.. Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, 1St Btn

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Remembering Bruce: A Man of Many Talents and Adventures" Bruce, a name that echoes through history, conjures images of bravery, resilience, and artistic brilliance. From the Men of the 1924 Everest Expedition to his wartime Toby jugs during WW1, Bruce left an indelible mark on the world. In moments frozen in time, we see Old Bill kneeling before the Cenotaph in Whitehall, paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives, and is here that we glimpse Bruce's deep understanding of humanity's struggles and triumphs. His artistry knew no bounds as he captured pivotal moments like the Battle of Bannockburn or depicted poignant scenes in his books such as "Things That Matter" and "A Miner Success. " Through his WW1 cartoons like "One of Our Minor Wars, " Bruce shed light on the realities faced by soldiers with both humor and empathy. Yet it was not only war that defined him; adventure beckoned him too. The Mount Everest Expedition of 1924 showcased his thirst for exploration and pushing boundaries. His postcards from this journey stand as testaments to his courage amidst nature's grandeur. Beyond war zones and mountaintops, Bruce found solace in simple pleasures like Albion Rovers FC football team matches or Bonzo's latest antics illustrated by Studdy. These glimpses into lighter moments reveal a man who understood life's balance between seriousness and joy. With each stroke of his pen or brushstroke on canvas, Bruce Bairnsfather immortalized stories that needed telling – tales like "The Thirst For Reprisals. " He became a voice for those whose voices were often silenced or forgotten. Today we remember Bruce – an artist, adventurer, storyteller – whose legacy lives on through these fragments from history. In our hearts forever remains a man who dared to capture truth with compassion while reminding us all what truly matters - our shared humanity.