'The Illustrated War News'

Photos from a British Magazine

Sketches made by British war correspondent H.C. Seppings-Wright

An artillery duel on the outskirts of Malines

Bombardment of the city at night

Sketches such as these were usually sent back to the magazine main office where another artist would produce a finished polished illustration, more in keeping with the accepted usages and tastes of the current public. In some instances however, especially where time was of the essence in portraying newsworthy events, battle sketches were published directly in magazines, without embellishments. This conveyed a sense of urgency and importance. Apparently many news-editors sensed that publication of rough drawings and sketches was a novelty that was much appreciated by the public.

In H.C. Sepping-Wright's case for instance, the majority of his work was simply published as it was sketched on the battlefield, complete with jotted notes and explantions. Sometimes both finished illustrations and preliminary sketches of the same scene can be found in various newsmagazines, which make for interesting comparisons indeed.

 

Sepping-Wright covered events on the Western Front in the early days of the war, generally in the vicinity of the British army, but also extensively in Belgium, where he stayed in Antwerp during the later part of siege at the hotel Saint Anthoine, along with Allied dignitries, consular and diplomatic staffs, high-ranking military officers and other foreign reporters. He accompanied the Belgian army during the retreat to the Yser, making many sketches along the way. After the front more or less stabilized by the end of 1914, he was sent to Russia were he accompanied Russian forces in Galicia, witnessing the siege of Przemysl and the burning of the oil-fields.

 

Seppings-Wright was an old hand at war reporting and a renowned name in the British media. A former British naval officer, he became famous for his on the spot work during the Sudan campaign, the Russo-Japanese war (on board Admiral Togo's flagship no less), the war in Tripoli and the Balkan wars. While there were of course many soldiers who made (amateur) sketches and drawings during the war, few newsmagazine artists actually visited the battleline to witness combat and military operations first-hand. H.C. Seppings-Wright was one of the few who did, which makes his work of prime historical interest, even though it is not as artistically polished as that of other illustrators.

Portrait of H.C. Seppings-Wright,

an old hand at illustrating wars and battles.

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