Summary
Black velvet embroidered panel with World War I allied flags and words 'Egypt', Gallipoli' and 'Gaza'. Embroidered with the date '1917', the panel was made as a World War I souvenir. Its provenance is otherwise unknown - the donation acknowledgement letter notes that 'No doubt some Mother somewhere was very proud of her son's participation in that terrible war.'
The embroidery is chain stitch, suggesting it might have been made with a Cornely embroidery machine, which sewed in chain (and moss) stitch.
A similar black velvet panel with chain-stitch writing and embroidered flags is held in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (GH017125). Neither panel has a known maker.
Physical Description
Black velvet panel embroidered with chain stitch. Includes Includes flags, wreath, bugle and star, and frame for photographs.
More Information
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Collection Names
Military Memorabilia Collection, Returned and Services League (RSL) Collection
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation & Subsequent Transfer from Victorian Branch, Returned & Services League of Australia Limited (RSL), Mr Keith Smith, Sep 1987
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Place & Date Made
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Inscriptions
Embroidered with the words:-'Gallipoli / Gaza / Souvenir of Egypt /1917 / My Dear Mother'.
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
63.5 cm (Length), 43 cm (Width)
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References
Donation letter in MV Archives file 01542, 20/9/1987.
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Keywords
Wars & Conflicts, World War I, 1914-1918, Handcrafts, Souvenirs, Military History
