Beschreibung:

Beddoes (Ivor, 1909-1981). A group of 7 watercolour and pencil drawings on paper of scenes from Egypt and Prestatyn, some taken from life, 1941, comprising: Some of the home made boats on the lagoon Mersa Matruh; Melting snow on the hills above Prestatyn, near Wales, 23/2/41; Sunken Ships, Mersa Matruh; Come to the Look-house Door, Western Desert, evening, 8.9.41; Signal Office & Distant Aeroplane Trap, El Dab'a - Western Desert, 1.9.41, (with vertical crease line down centre); Prestatyn View of Camp from Chalet (T.120) Window, 9.3.41; and Ad Dab'a W. Desert, various sizes from 25.5 x 35 cm (10 x 13 3/4 ins) to 48.5 x 70 cm (19 1/8 x 27 1/2 ins), a couple with minor spotting, all signed to lower, all with titles to verso, all mounted (Quantity: 7) Ivor William Gilmour Beddoes (1909-1981) was a British painter, sketch and storyboard artist, costume and set designer, dancer, composer and poet. He is best known for his film work, spanning more than thirty years, from Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes to Star Wars and Superman. Prior to his being called up at the end of 1940, and then serving with the Royal Signal Corps, Beddoes had been working at the Windmill Theatre in London's West End. In an autobiographical written shortly before his death, Beddoes wrote: 'one night in 1940 I walked off the stage to become a stretcher-bearer in the blitz on London. Then I went into the army. I never went back into the profession.' In a letter to the Artist's Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Information, (dated 10 October 1940), Beddoes explains how he came to make some sketches of the Blitz: '… [I] submit to you the accompanying sketches in the hope that they might be of use as documentary evidence or, in any other way that you might think useful. I am a scenic designer, and happened to be watching the raid last Saturday afternoon from the roof of a building in Piccadilly Circus. I was able to make a quick sketch of the effects of fires caused by the bombs dropped on South London, and again, later in the evening I made two sketches with colour notes of the fire, and added the colour afterwards. Should the sketches be of any use to you, I should be pleased if you would accept them and perhaps any future sketches I may make when I join the army in the very near future.'