| Place | Europe: United Kingdom, England, Greater London, London |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART40953 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 12.8 x 10.3 x 7.1 cm |
| Object type | Sculpture |
| Physical description | paper, watercolour and cotton wool |
| Maker |
Blaiberg, Gladys |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England, Greater London, London |
| Date made | c. 1917-1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: External copyright |
When you're a long long way from home
Description
Paper sculpture of an Australian soldier sitting on a post, smoking a cigarette, his legs are crossed and he looks longingly into the distance. The post is inscribed 10,000 MILES. The soldier appears to have just received a letter from home. Gladys Blaiberg didn't work at the Australian Forces canteen until 1917. While it's likely she still encountered Australian servicemen before that time, it is likely she didn't start to produce caricatures of them until being amongst them more regularaly. In 1917 the Adelphi Theatre in London was taken over by the Australian High Commission. Whilst working there Blaiberg made the small scale sculptures of the Australian soldiers during the First World War.