Alan Gallery

Stephen Wards sketches of celebrities, 1960

Through a doctor's eyes: a page of celebrities drawn by osteopath and gifted amateur artist Doctor Stephen Ward(1912-1963), as featured in The Illustrated London News in 1960. The sketches pictured here were displayed at the Legatt Brothers gallery in July 1960, comprising of sketches done by Ward, often for free, for his celebrity patients. Sketched here from life are the Right Honorable Hugh Gaitskell, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, M.P Duncan Sandys, Lord Boothby, Sophia Loren, Douglas Fairbanks, Sir Stanley Spencer, Sir Alan Herbert and Derick Heathcoat Armory. Ward went on to produce a series of specially commissioned sketches for the Illustrated London News. Following his involvement in the Profumo affair coming to public prominence, Ward committed suicide in 1963. Date: 1960

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire

The magnificent cathedral at Ely, Cambridgeshire, known affectionately as the Ship of the Fens'. The present cathedral was started by Abbot Simeon (1082-1094, brother of Walkelin, the then bishop of Winchester) under William I in 1083. This postcard shows the phenomenally magnificent central octagonal hall ('The lantern') designed by Alan of Walsingham. Date: 1911

© Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection

Fought to a Finish

Fought to a Finish: A Remarkable Exploit on a Blazing Plane An illustration by Joseph Simpson of an incident described by Mr Boyd Cable (newspaper correspondent Ernest Andrew Ewart). Though not named in the ILN caption, this seems to be the incident for which eighteen year old Canadian pilot Alan McLeod received the Victoria Cross. On 27 March 1918 the petrol tank of his Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 was struck during a dogfight. With the aeroplane in flames and both McLeod and his observer Albert Hammond wounded, the pilot, standing on the wing to avoid the flames steered the plane to the ground, keeping it in such a position (side slipping) that the flames were blown away from the two men. Landing in no mans land between the opposing trenches, the two were rescued by British infantry. Date: 1918

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans