| Method | Lithographic printed hankerchief on linen |
| Artist | Richard Caton Woodville |
| Published | The Daily Mail c.1899 |
| Dimensions | Image 400 x 390 mm, Sheet 470 x 455 mm |
| Notes |
Printed hankerchief of The Absent Minded Sailor by Rudyard Kipling. Shows Field Marshall Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Robert and Queen Victoria, musical scores by Arthur Sullivan, a map of South Africa showing the South African Republic (the Transvaal) and the Orange Free State and the lyrics of the song written by Kipling. The first charitable effort to raise funds for the second Boer war the song was specially commissioned and published by the Daily Mail to raise money for the "Soldiers Families Fund". The patriotic verse caused a sensation becoming the most popular and celebrated song during the first months of the war. The popularity of The Absent Beggar spread worldwide and it was publised by the New York Journal and performed on theatre stages by famous actresses of the day including Lily Langtree and Lady Maud Beerbohm Tree. A huge supporter of the war Kipling dedicated the payment for the poem to the Soldiers Families Fund and declined to accept the knighthood which was susequently offered to him. Condition: Small hole to the bottom left, minor stains to the right. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £350.00 |
| Stock ID | 27748 |