Sidelights. Being an Official Series of Caricature Portraits.: Military. First Series [all published].

London: Constable & Co. Ltd,, 1918. Scarce suite of First World War caricatures First edition, this one of an unspecified small number of special copies accompanied by a second suite of 16 loose plates in an end-pocket, each signed by the artist (all with accompanying tissue-guards). Uncommon, with just nine locations traced in online institutional holdings, one of the IWM's two copies is of this special edition, but lacks four of the extra suite of plates; only the NPG seems to have it complete. The book comprises an attractive suite of caricature portraits of leading British military figures, including "Wullie" Robertson, Capper, Allenby, Cowan, and Cockerill. "Such caricatures as these by Sacré are indeed rather cartoons than caricatures. In every one of them what is expressed in character, and as the formation of character has been the chief end of English education since the Renaissance, it is natural that any artist dealing with the individual Englishmen, whether he be of Military or of Political fame, should above all emphasize and seek to express what is most expressive in all Englishmen, not the intellectual but the great personal note which is the mark of our race - character" (introduction). Little is known about L. H. Sacré (1892-1974) beyond the basic facts of his life. He was born in Salford, settled in Essex, where he trained as an architect in Chelmsford, and is listed as ARIBA in later documentation. During the First World War he served as a captain with the Essex Regiment in France; during the Second World War he commanded the 59th (Warwickshire) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA). The sketches are highly accomplished, but there is no evidence that he made any later forays into illustration or portraiture. Folio. Original green buckram, lettered in black on the front board. 10 pages of letterpress, introduction and plate list, 16 colour plates tipped onto mid-green light card stock leaves, plain tissue guards, stub-mounted throughout. Slightly rubbed, some light foxing to the prelims and endpapers, the rear free endpaper particularly spotted, but the plates untouched, a very good copy.