The Comic Cards of Donald McGill and Douglas Tempest in World War One

Peter Tucker compares these two giants of the comic postcard scene

(Originally published in Picture Postcard Annual 1996)

(Reproduced by kind permission.)

10 A Little Bit of Glamour

One of the many things the serving man missed most of all was the warmth of a good woman (or bad woman to coin the old joke!). If they could not get the real thing, then a two-dimensional image would have to do. Men on the Western Front were in the right place for this type of thing, for the French postcard artists were famous for it, and unlike Great Britain there was no restriction on the portrayal of flesh. Scantily-clad ladies could be found in most postcard racks drawn by lots of artists, but the favourite was Raphael Kirchner. His cards were collected by young officers who completed with each other to see who could get the most. Many of them were pinned up in the dug-outs or a favourite was kept in the breast pocket, only
to be discarded if the order to go 'over the top' was given. This was because if killed the young soldier did not want the evidence to be found on him. Few of these cards were ever sent home, although I do have one by Sager of a nude girl in black stockings and red garters draped in see through silk. The card was sent in an envelope to a Miss C. Bull; the message reads '26.7.17, Dear Carrie, Hope you will excuse me not writing before but I have been in hospital and are now at a rest camp by the sea for a week or so but it is not so lovely as Brighton or places like that. But plenty of cricket, golf tennis etc., and a little bit of mixed bathing but sorry to say have not got off yet. Pleased to hear you are all keeping in the pink, kindly alter address next time 3rd A.A.P. Southerners, not 4th A.A.P. yours ArgyXXX'"

To return to McGill and Tempest, their glamour cards were much milder, showing nothing further than the knee. In 'Witty' series no.600 Tempest draws a young lady sitting in a table spoon displaying her shapely ankles captioned "Oh I do feel spooney! Come and stir me up!" In 'Witty'series no.590 a girl, serving in the tobacconist's, is standing on a stool, reaching up to the top shelf and in doing so is showing a leg up to the knee, just below which is a red garter. "Glad to see you've got a good stock-in Miss!" says a soldier who is looking on. The wind is up to its old tricks again at the seaside in McGill's 'Local Comique' series no.1873. A paper boy with a poster which reads, "Rise in Prices - Government Action" and a young officer are looking on as the wind blows up a young ladies dress to just above the knee; "Everything's going up, here!" is the caption.

See also "Coming Home"