Description
Content description
The file begins with a letter from Cecil Phillips at the Leicester Galleries, recommending 'The Tin Hat' for the Museum. The letter also mentions work by Seppings Wright (qv).
Attempts were made to get Epstein released from military service for the War Trophies section, via IWM, to do more busts of the various participants, along the lines of 'The Tin Hat'. Epstein was keen to be able to continue to work as an artist during the war and enlisted the support of G B Shaw. However, two letters from Arnold, Chief Inspectore of War Trophies, and Sir George Frampton (noted as having been removed from the file) objected to the appointment and permission was withdrawn.
In March 1918 the Ministry of Information applied for Epstein's time but again permission was denied, despite offers of help including from Lady Churchill.
Epstein was invalided out of the army and then offered his services to the Ministry. A series of six busts were planned, of typical soldiers. However with the transfer of the scheme to the IWM the commissions fell by the wayside.
The file includes papers relating to the acquisition of IWM:ART 1925 and 2749, and the purchase of IWM:ART 2751 and 2756 through the Muirhead Bone Fund. IWM:ART 2749 was a commission from Muirhead Bone in connection with a planned bas-relief of action at Moevres, but when news of this leaked out, the Museum was forced to issue a denial.
The file also includes a presscutting about Lord Fisher, subject of IWM:ART 1925; and correspondence relating to the loan of 'An American Soldier' to Leeds City Art Gallery in 1931; an illustrated presscutting from the Illustrated London News regarding an exhibition of Epstein's work at the Tate Gallery; and a photograph of Dorothy Lindsell Stewart ('Meum'), a friend and model of Epstein's, who wrote a letter to Yockney supporting Epstein's employment as an official artist (31-32).
Physical description
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