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

Start of the riot in Cheapside

Artistic impression of Evil May Day, the name of a riot which took place in 1517 as a protest against foreigners living in London. Apprentices attacked foreign residents. Some of the rioters were later hanged although King Henry VIII granted a pardon for the remainder following public pleadings from his wife Catherine of Aragon. Date: 19th century

© Mary Evans / Peter & Dawn Cope Collection Mary Evans / Peter & Dawn Cope Collection