The printed details on the back of this postcard include the following pieces of information: ‘H. B. Series. Entire British Production. London, E.C. / No. 758’. The illustration on the front, signed ‘A. E.’ by the artist, conveys many visual and written messages. The central figures are a father pushing his baby son in a pram. He is looking at a newspaper billboard that exclaims: ‘WAR NEWS / ANOTHER GREAT BATTLE – ENORMOUS CASUALTIES!’. The Post Office in the background has two posters in the window; the larger one states: ‘MATERNITY BENEFIT 30/ / INSURANCE ACT.’. The comment positioned at the bottom of the scene reads, ‘WHAT A LIFE ! LLOYD GEORGE GIVES THE KID THIRTY BOB TO COME INTO THE WORLD, AND LORD DERBY GIVES THE FATHER TWO AND NINE TO GET OUT OF IT!’ The mentions of Lloyd George, ‘THIRTY BOB’ and ‘MATERNITY BENEFIT 30/’ refer to the National Insurance Act of 1911, according to which workers who contributed to this compulsory health-insurance scheme were entitled to, amongst other benefits, maternity benefit of 30 shillings. David Lloyd George (1863–1945), who proposed the act, was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time. Lord Edward Derby (1865–1948) had also made a proposal (in August 1914): the raising of battalions of what later became known as ‘Pals’. His name is additionally associated with a scheme: on becoming Director–General of Recruiting, in 1915 he established the Group Scheme, or Derby Scheme, by which men between the ages of 18 and 40 were encouraged voluntarily to attest that they would serve in the military when needed, until that time being entitled to wear an armband, or brassard, to signal that they were not cowardly shirkers. Those who attested that they would join the British Army wore a khaki armband emblazoned with a red king’s crown; those who opted for the Royal Navy wore a blue armband with a red fouled anchor. They also received 2 shillings 9 pence for the day of attestation, this being a day’s pay for an infantryman. His armband identifies the father in this scene as a ‘Derby man’ who has attested for the army. It additionally dates the postcard to the end of 1915, for the Derby Scheme only operated from October to December of that year. || A British postcard. || || Postcard || A British comic postcard: 'What a life!'

There are two photographic elements to this postcard. In the vignette at the top, contained within a hazy bubble, we see a line of mounted British cavalry soldiers proceeding down a road. In the scene below, a mother and her two daughters are depicted in their living room, looking dejected and even despairing. A doll can be seen propped up on the table behind them. The legend below reads, ‘WHAT IS A HOME WITHOUT A DADDY?’. A message has been written in blue ink on the reverse: ‘This is from our little boy to his Daddy over the Seas. Good by sic x x’. The printed details state: ‘BAMFORTH & CO., LTD., PUBLISHERS HOLMFIRTH (ENGLAND) AND NEW YORK. / “PATRIOT” SERIES. NO. 1038. PRINTED IN ENGLAND.’. || A British sentimental postcard || || Postcard || A British sentimental postcard

A British patriotic postcard || Frederick Spurgin, the artist who created the scene on the front of this postcard, signed his name in the bottom right-hand corner. A small boy wearing a British soldier’s uniform is portrayed with his arm around an even smaller girl, who is gazing intently at a huge book, labelled ‘DICTIONARY’, that has been placed on the seat of the chair in front of them. She is standing on another book, on which rests an army officer’s drawn sword; a rifle has been propped up against the wall next to the chair. A suit of armour, lance in hand, has been posed behind them. The legend emblazoned across the bottom of the postcard reads, ‘WE DON’T KNOW WHAT ‘FEAR’ MEANS.’. The printed information on the reverse states, ‘Inter-Art Co., Red Lion Square, London, W.C. / “STEADFAST” Series. No. 941. British Manufacture.’. A message, written in black ink, reads, ‘Dear Vi, / Letter & P.C. this morn. See you soon. Love to all. Yrs. Muriel xxx’. It is addressed to ‘Miss I. or ‘J’ V. Macmillan / Station Cottage / Berwick On Tweed’. A postmark tells us that it was posted in Edinburgh on 24 August 1915. || || A British patriotic postcard || Postcard