ME & You Magazine Issue 6

MARY EVANS

PICTURE LIBRARY

Issue 6, October 2011

Published by the Mary Evans Picture Library 59 Tranquil Vale, London SE3 0BS T: 020 8318 0034 www.maryevans.com E: pictures@maryevans.com

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Prince of Hearts

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Going for Gold

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Gone to the Dogs

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A Fine Christmas Spread

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Fondest Regards, George

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A Week in the Life

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Truck On

Nameplate image ClassicStock/Mary Evans

Prince of

Hearts he Illustrated London News archive holds one particularly rare and unusual edition. It is the Coronation Number of King Edward VIII, a 'dummy' issue, prepared in advance and f illed with photographs of the King's early life and numerous blank pages awaiting photographs of the coronation itself. But Edward was the King who was never crowned and subsequently, this ILN Coronation Number was the issue that never made it to the printing presses. It is a poignant reminder of a love story that changed history.

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"But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love."

They were words that divided a nation. Was the King a hopeless romantic or spineless coward? Stubborn and intransigent, or a

Š Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

It will be 75 years this December since the 42-year-old King who had ruled less than a year, sat at a desk in Buckingham Palace and made his historic broadcast to the nation:

victim of unbending constitutional rules?

Should he have given up the woman he loved rather than given up the throne?

The debate simmers on. A new f ilm, 'W.E.', directed by Madonna, has reignited public interest in the tale of Wallis and Edward; a recent book, by Anne S e b b a borrows its title, 'That Wo m a n ' , from the Queen Mother's withering description of the Duchess of Windsor. Even the Oscar-winning f ilm, 'The King's Speech', paints Edward VIII as a bully, poking fun at his younger brother's speech impediment. It seems that f inding a true, balanced picture of the abdication crisis and its protagonists is still frustratingly elusive.

Edward, Prince of Wales in 1928, Illustrated London News, 8th December 1928 (image 10215911)

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

John Maclellan/Mary Evans and © Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Prince of Wales chocolates, 1930 (image 10084820), and advertisement for Prince Charming cigarettes, Illustrated London News, 17th February 1923 (image 10224219)

The holdings at Mary Evans do little to unravel this controversy but what they do reveal is that as far as the media was concerned, Edward, Prince of Wales was the country's very own Prince Charming. An attractive child with blond locks and chubby cheeks, he was photographed relentlessly. Slow to mature, he joined the Grenadier Guards during World War One (as perhaps their shortest recruit), but saw no action, f inding his true talent during royal tours in his twenties. 'Welcome Home' exclaimed The Tatler magazine, featuring the royal pin-up on their front cover, grinning widely after a two-month tour of the USA and Canada in

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Edward, Prince of Wales was no paragon of virtue, finding his family and royal duties irksome.

Edward playing golf in Biarritz, Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 24th September 1932 (image 10510919) 2

1919. He appeared on chocolate boxes and as a cigarette brand, while the illustrated magazines delighted in capturing him hunting, golf ing, piloting his Puss Moth or else gamely dressed up in the traditional costume of whatever country he was visiting. A tiny picture in The Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News from 1931 shows the Prince on safari in the company of Denys Finch-Hatton, he of 'Out of Africa' fame. Fashionable, dapper and sporty, he enraged his father with his outlandish clothes but captured the mood of the era, and had, what many referred to as, 'the common touch'. A month before his abdication, he famously remarked, 'Something MUST be done', when visiting the impoverished striking miners of South

Edward, Prince of Wales shaking hands with a coal miner at Middlestone Moor in County Durham, during his tour of the coalfields in 1929, (image 10224130)

Wales. His voiced concern, though ineffectual, garnered widespread approval.

But on the evidence of letters and personal testimonies, Edward, Prince of Wales was no paragon of virtue. Known to enjoy playboy pursuits, when writing to his mistress Freda Dudley-Ward he is selfabsorbed, indolent, sometimes petulant, f inding his family and royal duties irksome. An article in Britannia & Eve magazine in 1929 investigating, 'Why the Prince Does Not Marry' runs a quote from Edward who explained to a conf idante, 'During twelve hours of every day, I have to be what other people want me to be. The rest of the time I can be myself. If I married, I should have to spend the rest of my time being what my wife wanted me to be.' In 1931, he met Mrs Ernest Simpson at a party and the rest, as they say, is history.

As the King's affair with Wallis gained momentum, star struck naivety turned to complicity when the British press closed ranks to prevent news of Wallis and Edward's affair reaching the public. In March 1935, Wallis had appeared on the front cover of The Sketch, described simply as, 'the beautiful wife of Mr. Ernest Simpson… one of the many attractive Americans in London society'. Others were less generous in their assessment of Wallis.

Politician and diarist Chips Cannon described her as 'jolly plain'. A year later, Wallis pops up in a photograph at the opening of Quaglino's restaurant in The Bystander. With no gossipy caption she could still be just another socialite.

And so for the general public, the crisis of December 1936 came as a shock. Little wonder that many rested the blame for the loss of their royal golden Adonis at the door of the twice-divorced American adventuress who had bewitched him. For the sympathetic romantics however, their love story struck a chord. The Saturday Review of 19th December 1936 published a short poem on their cover pledging their allegiance to the ex-king - 'Goodbye, Goodbye, We cry with a sigh, Driven away, By a law that's a lie, Great King and True Lover, For you we would die.'

Noel Coward was considerably less sentimental suggesting a statue of Mrs Simpson be erected in every town in England - in thanks for saving England from King Edward VIII. Luci Gosling 2011

All images © Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans except 10070262 and 10018106 Mary Evans Picture Library

Above: cover of the published transcript of the abdication speech broadcast on 11th December 1936 (image 10070262) Le Petit Journal cover, 13th December 1936, asking the question ‘Love or Crown?’ (image 10018106) The Tatler front cover, 3rd December 1919, welcoming Edward home from a tour: ‘the whole of his future subjects love him’ (image 10282237) Why the Prince Does Not Marry, Britannia & Eve, November 1929 (image 10224105) ILN Coronation Number for Edward VIII (image 10224128)

Top: headline in the New York Daily Mirror, 26th October 1936 (image 10224122) Above: Wallis and Edward at the Chateau de Cande, May 1937 (image 10224215) Above right: The Sketch, 27th March 1935: ‘the beautiful wife of Mr Ernest Simpson’ (image 10224129) Right: car in support of Edward during the abdication crisis of December 1936 (image 10224205)

Interfoto/Mary Evans (image 10457573)

Interfoto/Mary Evans

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he dream of discovering golden wealth has throughout history spurred the actions of adventurers, explorers, conquering armies and ‌ chemists. At the core of the pseudo-scientific tradition of alchemy (from an Arabic word meaning transmutation) was the idea that base metals could be transformed through chemical process by an all-powerful and legendary substance, the Philosopher's Stone, into gold and silver. The Philosopher's Stone was also thought to have rejuvenating properties, a belief which captivated those with a lust for gain and the dream of extending and creating life.

An alchemist’s workplace by Gustave DorÊ, c.1870 (image 10049779) 4

Mary Evans Picture Library

The perception of alchemists today as a bunch of wild and bizarre medieval charlatans, with crazy hair and crocodiles hanging from their ceilings obscures past appraisals of their work as respected early chemists. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Serious studies by alchemists to examine the physical properties of matter, combining elements of chemistry, botany and physics have been veiled by the mystic, inwardly-facing esoteric notions of the practitioners and their acolytes.

All images this page Interfoto/Mary Evans, except 10049449 Mary Evans Picture Library

An alchemist's laboratory 'kit' was vital for the standard procedures of heating, fusing, dissolving and filtering required to manipulate minerals, herbs and fluids. Dual stoves and complex twisted glass filtration tubes leading to round flasks are often depicted in illustrations relating to alchemy, and similar devices can still be purchased by budding modern alchemists. Another key ingredient for many alchemical experiments was sprigs of the mysterious herb known as 'lunary' (actually a plant called moonwort). This round-leafed plant grows on mountain slopes, and allegedly acquires great natural power by exposure to moonlight.

Small human-shaped figures supposedly created by complex chemical procedures, or as a result of the alchemist himself undergoing violent and ritual change, are known as homunculi. Alchemic writings note the use of a mandrake root in the creation of these beings. The procedure of acquiring and handling the root, which in form looks spookily similar to a human figure, needed to be followed precisely; it included being picked before dawn on a Friday morning by a black dog, then 'fed' with milk or blood. Only then would the root finally grow and change into the tiny figure, providing protection to its creator.

Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, 1493-1541) was a German physician who began his career investigating diseases suffered by miners.

He criticized early 16th-century approaches to curing disease, favouring specific cures for specific ailments and pioneered the use of mineral-based treatments, helping to establish a role for chemistry in the field of medicine. Although oft-branded as the best-known alchemist, Paracelsus himself was clear to define the nature of his research, writing: "Many have said of Alchemy, that it is for the making of gold and silver. For me such is not the aim, but to consider only what virtue and power may lie in medicines."

Main image left: tradecard of alchemist Richard Siddall c.1750 (image 10458869) Above: alchemical stove, woodcut c.1520 (image 10235799) Left: alchemist producing homunculus (image 10451051) Below left: Paracelsus (image 10460228) Below right: Nicolas Flamel (image 10049449) Bottom: alchemist in workshop, David Teniers the Younger, 17th century (image 10445377)

If Paracelsus felt somewhat unfairly linked to alchemical practice, the linking of Nicolas Flamel (1330-1418), a moderately well-off French scribe and manuscript seller, to the greatest of all the alchemical achievements is hard to pin to any substantial historical source. Flamel is claimed to have succeeded in the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, which could turn base lead into gold and create an elixir of life to give the creator immortality. Some modern writers however see Flamel as an amateur enthusiast who, although obviously intrigued by alchemy, was used by 17th-century editors as a suitable name to attach to a wide variety of earlier alchemical treaties. In the 19th century Flamel's work was mentioned by Victor Hugo and Eric Satie and his achievements reached an entirely new audience with the publication of J K Rowling's book 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', in which the boy wizard sought to prevent Lord Voldemort getting hold of Flamel's famed creation.

Tom Gillmor 2011

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n the summer of 2008, Walthamstow Stadium closed the doors of its iconic art deco façade to race-goers for the last time. Opened in 1933 by William Chandler and remaining within the Chandler family for seventy years, its closure was put down to rising running costs and the abolition of off-site betting duties. At the time of writing, the fate of the 'Stow' has been undecided. Offers to buy the property from the owners, property developers London & Quadrant, have been refused while their recent planning application has been vehemently opposed by a local pressure group, 'Save Our Stow' who hope the stadium can one day return to its original purpose. The closure of Walthamstow left just two greyhound stadiums still open in the Greater London area - Wimbledon, and Romford - which seems tragic for a sport which once welcomed a staggering 25,000,000 people through the turnstiles of its 52 licensed tracks, and employed 30,000 people during its heyday in the 1930s.

Images on this page Š Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

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It was a cement magnate Canadian, Brigadier-General Alfred Cecil Critchley, who f irst introduced greyhound racing as we know it to Britain from America in 1926 after forming a partnership with Charles Munn, an American who saw the potential of track-based greyhound racing with the use of an electric hare. Critchley formed the National Greyhound Racing

Association to regulate the sport and worked hard to give it an acceptable, almost glamorous veneer, and soon it was attracting "society" to the turnstiles, or more often, to the elegant dining rooms and bar lounges attached to the huge, modern stadium complexes. Wembley's Empire stadium for instance had a dancing and dining room of an area 15,000 square feet where one thousand diners could be accommodated at a time, while out of its ten bars, one, according to the claim of the S t a d i u m authorities, was the longest in the world.

To 21st century race-goers who associate a night at the dogs with a rather earthy cocktail of work-ing class bonhomie, flat caps and basket meals, it may seem strange to envisage ladies arriving at White City in their bias cut satin evening gowns. But, in fact, greyhound racing of the 1930s attracted all levels of society from the working classes f illing the

Above: Hares and Graces by Harry Woolley in The Bystander, 13th July 1927 (image 10238126) Top: Night racing under floodlight in a stadium,

by Major G. Paterson in The Bystander, 19th April

the Oval but the existing stadiums, numbering over forty by the late 1930s continued to do a roaring trade. Although greyhound racing had begun to fall out of favour with the middle classes by the beginning of the Second World War, it remained the third most popular leisure activity in Britain (behind cinema and football). Even in the late 20th century, greyhound racing enjoyed something of a renaissance: Walthamstow famously Tom Gillmor/Mary Evans

Dinner at White City stadium, The Tatler, 14th July 1937 (image 10429001)

stands to the well-heeled diners watching in the raref ied environs of the stadiums' silver service restaurants. And smart, society ladies tended to have more than a superf icial interest in the sport; many were breeders, owners and trainers. One lady breeder, Mrs C. Clarke who wrote a history of the sport in 1934, noted that, "women have been the keenest supporters of track racing from its commencement: they form a large proportion of the huge crowds seen at various tracks". Advertisements for race tracks bear out this claim, with illustrations

Greyhound racing of the 1930s attracted all levels of society.

A.C. Critchley, greyhound racing pioneer (image 10238805)

featuring the smart set in evening dress cheering on the winner. Mick the Miller, the most celebrated greyhound champion was owned by Mrs Arundel Kempton, whose husband had bought her the dog as a gift for an enormous sum - 2,000 guineas in 1929 (the equivalent of £91,500 today).

The investment proved a canny one as the dog continued his winning streak before pursuing a lucrative f ilm career. Patrons of the greyhound track included Tallulah Bankhead, Gracie Fields, Jack Buchanan and even King Alfonso XIII of Spain who enjoyed the 1930 Greyhound Derby at White City. It comes as no surprise that, when Walthamstow opened in 1933, the pioneering aviatrix, Amy Johnson, was celebrity guest of honour. Winston Churchill, M.P. for Woodford, was another fan of Walthamstow.

As the sport gained in popularity, so the greyhound came to be a representative icon of the art deco period, its sleek, streamlined appearance the embodiment of 1930s style.

Greyhounds were the subjects of painting and bronzes, and the wittiest cartoonists of the day drew inspiration from dog racing.

And with their graceful, good looks and winning ways, greyhounds proved excellent advertising subjects, particularly for whisky brands such as Johnny Walker and Black & White.

Advertisement for ‘Ladies Night’ at White City Stadium in The Bystander, 25th October 1933 (image 10223133)

All images this column © Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Neon frontage at Walthamstow Dog Racing Stadium, 2008 (image 10238491)

welcomed Vinnie Jones and Brad Pitt through its turnstiles for a good, oldfashioned night at the dogs. Some might have argued that there was still hope for the future of greyhound racing but the accounts at Walthamstow apparently told a different story, and so it seems that the "Stow" has gone the way of Catford and the twenty other greyhound stadiums that have closed over the past decade. Whatever happens, one hopes that the well-loved, neon-lit façade will remain as a reminder of the stadium's halcyon days, but unlike the society ladies who once frequented the greyhound stadiums of yesteryear, this particular lady will be all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Luci Gosling 2011

So where did it all go wrong, or, to coin a phrase, go to the dogs? Despite its huge success, greyhound racing did have its detractors in the thirties, notably from the anti-gambling lobbyists who argued that the phenomenal rise in dog racing had contributed exponentially to an increase in betting and the resulting social problems.

Residential groups also opposed new proposed stadiums at Crystal Palace and Greyhounds, Wembley Stadium, 1932 Mary Evans Picture Library (image 10086783)

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A fine

C hristmas spread

hristmas Day was f ixed on 25th December by the Church in AD 440, usefully falling exactly nine months, ostensibly the length of a human pregnancy, after Lady Day on 25th March which celebrates the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Of course, this may have been one reason for choosing it, though as it also coincided with the date of the Roman winter solstice, it had other advantages.

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Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Here we come a-wassailing; Deck the halls, carve the turkey, Outside the weather’s cold and murky; Present-giving, mistletoe, Skating, sledging in the snow; Rudolph skims the chimney tops, Santa down the chimney hops.

Two months to go, and here we see A page of all things Christmassy.

Some prefer these months to keep Free from what’s called Christmas creep, And yet we hope the pictures here Will spread a little Christmas cheer.

The tradition of decorating at Christmas with particular plants also has pagan connections. The Roman festival of Saturn, which saw the temples festooned with greenery, was held in December; druids were associated with mistletoe and the Saxons used holly and ivy. These customs were incorporated into Christian practice, and symbolism better assimilated their use.

Prickly holly with its red berries was held to represent the Crown of Thorns borne by Jesus at the Crucif ixion while the use of evergreens at Christmas expresses the idea of eternal life.

The f igures of Father Christmas and Santa Claus have varied roots, but have evolved into an interchangeable character typifying the spirit of good Christmas cheer. The 4thcentury Saint Nicholas, whose Dutch dialect name Sinterklaas gives us Santa Claus, is associated with a legend that nicely explains the origins of certain Christmas customs: a poor man who could not afford dowries for his three daughters worried that they would remain unmarried and be forced into slavery or prostitution. To save them from this fate, Saint Nicholas threw three purses of gold, one by one, into the poor man's house. On the third occasion the man lay in wait to discover the identity of his benefactor, but Nicholas discovered the plan and dropped the gold down the chimney instead, whereupon it fell into a stocking hung there by one of the daughters to dry.

Jessica Talmage 2011 8

All images Mary Evans Picture Library except 10017157 © Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans; 10211955 Aisa Media/Mary Evans; 10252342 and 10421723 Peter & Dawn Cope/Mary Evans; 10420001 Imagno/Mary Evans; 10474084 National Archives/Mary Evans; 10499280 Retrograph/Mary Evans; and 10529405 The Scout Association/Mary Evans

Clockwise from left: Christmas tree in town hall square, early 20th century postcard (image 10016863) Boy hanging stocking, by Thomas Nast in Harper’s Weekly, c.1870 (image 10020727) Merry-go-round on the ice, by Robert Barnes in The Graphic, Christmas Number 1890 (image 10017157) The Nativity by Federico Barocci, 1597, in Museo del Prado, Madrid (image 10211955) Father Christmas delivering presents, late 19th century French greetings card (image 10499280) Christmas baubles, The Delineator, December 1927 (image 10252342) Decking the tree, by Jessie Willcox Smith in The Everyday Fairy Book by Anna Alice Chapin (image 10199983) Mistletoe, by Henrietta Grace Powell, c.1840 (image 10529405) The Christmas pudding by Rie Cramer, c.1920 (image 10421723) Tom Smith’s Christmas Cracker Surprises, 1907 (image 10474084) Santa filling Christmas stockings with toys, illustration by Arthur Rackham to Clement C Moore’s ‘The Night Before Christmas’, 1939 edition (image 10032871) Ice-skaking near Wimbledon, South London, C.1935 (image 10420001) Traditional German Father Christmas, by Woldemarr Friedrich in Home Sunbeams, 1893 (image 10003706)

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“ Dear Bob, Just a P.C. Am sorry that I haven't answered your last letter yet, but I will do so directly I get a bit of spare.

This is my latest Hobby. Doing my own Picture P.Cs - some economy in war time isn't it. Cheers. Best regards, Bro. Geo.” n 1919, when Corporal George Ranstead was f inally de-mobilised, he had, during his time serving King and Country, amassed a substantial collection of small postcards measuring 3 ½ by 4 ½ inches, all hand drawn with delicate ink illustrations. Like many soldiers of the Great War, George found amusement and solace in drawing and his wartime hobby produced 96 individual sketches and cartoons, covering a wide range of topical themes from wartime prof iteering to the British soldiers' view of "Jerry". Unseen for more than 90 years, the postcard pictures of George Ranstead were found by an amateur collector at an antiques' fair and have only recently come to light.

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George Greyham Ranstead was born in 1892 in Islington, London, the son of a printer compositor. By the outbreak of war, George's parents appear to have died and he and his four younger sisters were living at 39, Mildmay Road in Dalston. Living nearby was Jane "Jeannie" Richards, George's sweetheart who would become his wife in 1916. Before joining up, George worked as a clerk at a dealer in precious stones in Hatton Gardens, London's jewellery quarter, while Jeannie worked at Pike Brothers, a manufacturer of fancy goods located in what is now the Barbican area. In 1916, George entered the war serving in the Army Pay Corps, a non-combatant unit responsible for administering the wages of Britain's Army.

Some men, who were deemed unf it to serve in a combat role, were allocated to the APC and though this may have been the case with George, it is just as likely that his clerical skills were best utilised in such a position. In any case, we know that George spent some of the war in France, rising from the rank of Private to Corporal. The heart-rending messages of love he sends to Jeannie from the Front contrast George's innate sense of duty with an understandable yearning to be back home in east London. His homemade picture postcards often show a genuine artistic talent, but they are also a priceless reflection of the ordinary soldier's experience and preoccupations during wartime. The humour, wit and stoicism of his cartoons are the legendary qualities of the ordinary British Tommy.

Luci Gosling 2011 10

Fondest Regards, George Postcards from an amateur artist of the Great War

Top left: personification of ‘Brave Little Belgium’ (image 10527705) Top right: A cartoonist draws the Kaiser (image 10412078) Above: Minesweeper (image 10412079) Right: Patriotic naval officer and lady (image 10472402) Below: ‘Year 19-- George still sketching!!’ Some soldiers felt like the war might never end, a popular subject for cartoonists (image 10412085) Bottom right: British soldier, Gallipoli (image 10412083)

All images © Grenville Collins Postcard Collection/Mary Evans

A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF...

NO

TWO DAYS IN THE PICTURE LIBRARY ARE THE

SAME:

one minute I might be searching for depictions of alien abductions, the next, the life and times of Ludwig van Beethoven. It's like time travelling really, weaving through the chaos of Hogarth's 'Gin Lane', crossing the blasted battlefields of the Western Front, or marvelling at the glamour and impropriety of the Bright Young Things in 1920s London.

Work begins with checking e-mail enquiries and also orders made through our website. Once any urgent requests have been dealt with, I'll prioritise the remainder, and get to work on these. I deal specifically with publishing clients so much of my time focuses on book projects; this involves sourcing appropriate images for each brief, as well as sending across highresolution images, negotiating rates for licensing and invoicing any finalised orders.

captioning and scanning these pictures, making as much of our core collection available to our clients as possible.

If the picture enquiry is centred around a particular 19th or 20th century historical event, the Illustrated London News Archive will frequently be my first port of call. The Great Eight, comprised of such titles as The Tatler, The Sphere and The Graphic, not to mention The Illustrated London News itself, provide a huge array of photographs and engravings. It's easy to get side-tracked by amusing advertisements or tales of intrigue, each a little A ‘Bright Young Thing’, no doubt piece of history in its own behaving badly. Illustration by Baumer in The Graphic right, and a reason why Lewis Christmas Number, 1927 (image Mary Evans is so important in 10493725) providing an insight into all aspects of history, both great and small. It's a pleasure to dip into the archive and uncover something new, knowing that captioning and scanning it will shine a spotlight on a little bit more of the past.

My favourite projects are those I can really get my teeth into, ones that entail in-depth research and the potential to uncover new material. One project I enjoyed working on immensely was the book Jewels of the Romanovs: Family & Court by an Italian author, Stefano Papi. His knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject matter – Russian royalty and their exquisite jewellery – seemed limitless, and whilst the project took quite some time to complete, seeing the images published in his magnificent book made it all worth while.

Job done.

© Medici/Mary Evans

Often a search will involve more than just perusing our online database of images. In these cases, I'll either consult our international agents' websites to see if they have any suitable images or I'll explore what the archive has to offer. As well as all the illustrated books, postcards, periodicals and catalogues, we also have filing cabinets brimming with imagery that hasn't yet made it to our website. These are categorised by theme, for example: Food & Drink, Social Scenes, or Places. One job we're working on at present is

Mary Evans Picture Library

TESS HINES takes us through her picture research journey to the archive and beyond in a typical working week.

Illustration by Margaret Tarrant for Magic Lamplighter, 1926 (image 10506256)

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a.

1. Useful Box Truck 2. Champagne Trolley 3. Chemist's Truck 4. Sewing Machine Truck b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g. h.

P

And so inspired by this cornucopia on wheels, we're setting you a rather different challenge for this issue's competition. On this page you'll f ind eight examples of Slingsby's trucks. Simply match up the pictures with the correct descriptions and send your answers to me&you@maryevans.com by 16th November 2011 for the chance to win £100 of Amazon vouchers. The winner will be the f irst chosen randomly from correct entries after the closing date, and will be notif ied by 23rd November.

Issue 5 The Grand 2012 Anniversaries Quiz competition answers 1. Robert Falcon Scott; 2. Charles Dickens; 3. Sydney Harbour Bridge; 4. RMS Titanic; 5. Spencer Perceval; 6. Jean-Jacques Rousseau; 7. Lewis Carroll; 8. Claude Debussy; 9. Abraham Lincoln; 10. BBC; 11. Howard Carter; 12. David Wright. Congratulations to our winner, Joanna Hopkins at the Royal Society.

Stop Press! New collections recently online include images from The Scout Association, London Fire Brigade, Roger Viollet fine art, Spaarnestad Photo and King’s College, London.

Check the Collections page on www.maryevans.com for more.

We would be happy to receive your comments about ME & You. Please email us at me&you@maryevans.com.

All images Mary Evans Picture Library

5. Sliding Cover Dust Truck 6. Railway Refreshment Truck 7. Baker’s Double Rack Truck 8. Wallpaper Truck

erversely, history is sometimes at its most fascinating when it is at its most mundane. One of the most delightful aspects of Mary Evans Picture Library is its perennial ability to surprise with the quirky and esoteric and nothing can surely be more esoteric (or mundane) than a small red book we found on the shelves recently. Slingsby's Patent Trucks (and Trucks of All Kinds) is a comprehensive catalogue listing the myriad trucks, trolleys, wagons and carts available to the tradesman of 1910 from the showrooms of H. C. Slingsby. Claiming to be 'The Largest Truck Establishment in the World' as we are reminded on every page, this is a truck-enthusiast's dream. Who knew of the f ine construction details separating a Skeleton Platform Truck from a Single End Steel Truck? Or that delivery boys could choose from three different types of carrier tricycles? This prescriptive and highly detailed little tome shows that Slingsby's certainly catered for every trucking eventuality.