'the Illustrated
London News'
the
Siege of Antwerp
- Left : Germans in the trenches outside Antwerp
'The
Illustrated London News' like most other British
magazines, devoted a large proportion of its pages to
news about Belgium during the early days of the war in
general and about the siege and fighting for Antwerp in
particular, especially after British forces became
directly involved in the defence of the city.
- 'The Illustrated London News' did however have an ace up
its sleeve, as one of the their star war correspondents
and sketch artists, veteran
H.C. Seppings-Wright was present in the besieged
city. Seppings-Wright, a former British naval officer was
an old hand at reporting wars and conflicts and at the
time was one of the most renowned military illustrators
working in Great Britain. When war broke out he was sent
to the continent by 'the Illustrated London News'.
Working from experience he seemed to have divined that
conditions for news correspondents were vastly more
agreeable in Belgium than in France and so perhaps more
by happenstance than anything else, he was present in
Antwerp during most of the siege. He produced many
striking eye-witness sketches and drawings of events
during the siege, including artillery engagements,
assaults on Belgian forts and fighting between German and
British forces. From the roof of the hotel where he (and
many other high-ranking military and diplomatic staff)
were staying, hotel Saint Anthoine, he made illustrations
of the final bombardment of the city and of the pontoon bridges
across the river. Two of these drawings are on the
following page.
a finished drawing made after an on-the-spot
sketch by Seppings-Wright
Next