Attacked Gallery

Matania - Last Absolution of the Munsters

The Last General Absolution of the Munsters at Rue du Bois - painting by Fortunino Matania. This painting relates to an incident in France in May of 1915, when the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers suffered very heavily at Rue du Bois, in the Pas de Calais close to Arras. The action was only one of many local attacks which ended disastrously through lack of support. Colonel Victor Rickard, recently appointed to command, was killed in the attack, as was his Adjutant, Captain Filgate. Both are represented in the picture, alongside Father Gleeson, who is shown giving the Absolution on the evening prior to the action taking place.
1915

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

The Golliwoggs Bicycle Club - Surrounded by Cannibals

Surrounded by Cannibals! The book charts Golliwogg's adventures with his dutch peg doll friends Peggy, Weg, Meg, Sarah Jane and the dinky little Midget. This is the 2nd title in a 13-book series of Golliwogg books written by mother Bertha and illustrated by daughter Florence. The tale revolved around their travels around the globe on homemade bicycles (and the disasters that befall them!). These books gave the origination of the term golliwogg, now seen as highly un-PC and socially-unacceptable for reasons of supposed racial stereotyping and changing political attitudes, despite the innocent intent of the original creation, set in a time of wildly different social norms'. Date: 1896

© Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection

Baptist chapel in Hartlepool hit by German east coast raid - WWI

The Baptist Chapel in Hartlepool (now situated in an area called The Headland and sometimes known as Old Hartlepool), located on the corner of Baptist Street and Regent Street (with the photographer standing on Prissick Street). The chapel was built in 1852 from stone quarried in The Headland and was demolished shortly after 1914 as it was deemed beyond repair, following the attack. A new chapel was built on the site which was named the Bombardment Memorial Church to remember those members of the church who died that day killed including the Sunday school secretary and seven of the children

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans