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BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER AND OLD BILL
HOT NEWS
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 NEWS
1/06/2008
rare ww2 drawing sells
25th may 2008
Bruce Bairnsfather OLD BILL PLAYING CARDS sell for a hefty £122 on ebay
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18/05/2008
RARE WW1 BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER "OLD BILL" SILVER CHARM sells for hefty £132 on ebay
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14/05/2008 WW2 drawing sells for a hefty £1650 at auction
893 An original WWII signed monochrome sketch by Bruce Bairnsfather, showing a Home Guard “Old Bill” character, striding through the rain and mud, identified as Vol H M Burnett, captioned “Immortal Remarks-Immortalized” and “In the interests of National Security its a good job I remain as sober as I do”, 14” x 10¾”, pencil notes on the back “This is an original by the World Famous Cartoonist. Supposed to be me, Cost a friend of mine 20 guineas” and a different hand, “Presented by A E Low 16th December 1941 with compliments”. GC (minor marking to edges) Plate 3
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There has been an influx of rare postcards on ebay with the recent rare flying colours one selling for £64
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5/5/2007 WEBSITE CHANGES ARE WELL UNDER WAY
a number of changes have been made with the adding of 3 new pages artistic style Bullets & Billets and fragments from france,also a search engine has been added to the top right to make finding things on the site easier hope you enjoy them
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Rare OLD BILL" BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER WW1 GREEN CERAMIC JUG sells on ebay for a hefty £83
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Sale 16285 - Pictures including Works by 'Snaffles', Furniture & Works of Art, 29 Apr 2008
Knowle
Bairnsfather ? drawing sells for £450
Lot No: 58
Bruce Bairnsfather (British, 1888-1959)
'Posting the Sentries'
Signed with initials and dated 'C.B.B. 05', inscribed with title, inscribed on label verso 'C. B. Bairnsfather'
Ink and watercolour
24 x 25cm
(unframed).
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THREE PIECES OF BAIRNSFATHER ART WORK SELL AT AUCTION 19/04/2008
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| A private collection of military cartoons - Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959) - BERT WARMING HIMSELF BY A BRAZIER - grey wash drawing on wooden panel, 35.75 by 21.25ins., unframed - not signed (see illustration). Provenance - Abbott and Holder. By reputation this picture was discovered in a property in France. |
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£300 to £500
realised £816 after commision |
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Semley Auctioneers
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19 Apr 2008
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209 |
| A private collection of military cartoons - Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959) - "I S'POSE WE'LL HAVE TO STOP BEHIND AND TIDY ALL THIS UP WHEN IT'S OVER, BERT" - grey wash drawing, 9.7 by 14.15ins., in modern glazed frame - signed lower right (see illustration). |
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| £400 to £600 |
| realised £2880 after commision |
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19 Apr 2008
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210 |
| A private collection of military cartoons - Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959) - "NOW LOOK 'ERE BERT IF YER WANTS TO BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN THIS TRENCH BE'AVE YERSELF" - grey wash drawing, 19.3 by 14.1ins., in modern glazed frame - signed lower right (see illustration). |
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| realised £3120 after commision |
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Any Bairnsfather/Old Bill drawings coming up at auction demand high interest and this occasion was no exception with 2 Fragments from France drawings and 1 un-signed, but very nice drawing on offer. The first being Bert warming himself over a brazier drawn on a wooden panel, unfortunately un-signed, it looks correct but there is always an element of doubt with an un-signed picture, although the provenence of being found in a house in France was quite good. The second was a nice drawing of Old Bill and 'Bert' commenting on having to clear up the mess afterward, which as you know is a very rare original Fragment from France drawing featured in Vol 5. The third, the famous "Infringement" drawing, also a Fragments from France drawing from Vol 7.
Regarding the auction for lot 208 bidding opened at £300 and fierce competition within the room and from the telephones realised a final price of £816 after commission. Lot 209 opened at £1,100 from commission bidders and with competition within the room and again from the telephones reached £2,880. Lot 210 opened at a lowly £700, but with the commisions staying in to £2,500 and the winning bid from the room of £2,600, with commission a final price of £3,120. Obviously a good day for both vendor and auction house, but not so good for disappointed bidders. I myself was lucky enough to have lot 210 the third drawing - being my all time favourite Fragment cartoon - it was a must have purchase albeit a little painful on the pocket.
6th April 2008 BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER OLD BILL SMALL DRAWING SELLS ON EBAY FOR £78
30/04/2008
BAIRNSFATHER SURREY RED CROSS POSTCARD sells for £46 on ebay
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29/3/2008 postcard
sells for £43 on ebay
BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER : OLD BILL AGAIN.
ON THE WHOLE THE DAY PASSED QUIETLY...
Original vintage postcard
Published by VALENTINES 481
Fair condition....age dirt/rubs...a.c.m..bottom right corner creased...right side bumped in middle
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23/03/2008
US STAGE STAR LEE WHITE 'WHERE DID THAT ONE GO TO' 1917
record sells for £82 on ebay
US STAGE STAR LEE WHITE 'WHERE DID THAT ONE GO TO' 1917
Great WW1 'Old Bill' Comedy Song!
ARTIST AND ISSUE DETAILS: New Orleans born comedienne Lee White in London in 1917 sings 'Where Did That One Go To?' a great topical song based on Bruce Bairnsfather's famous cartoon character soldier 'Old Bill' on a single sided HMV 03561. From the Vaudeville Theatre Revue 'Cheep'. Lee White never recorded in her homeland, which is a shame, as she was a great singer with amazing presence. CONDITION: VV+ scratches served me as my own copy for 20+ years!
RARE VERY LARGE BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER / OLD BILL DRAWING 10th march 2008 yet another drawing has sold for £300 on ebay
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Thursday March 13, 2008...
signed photo postcard of bairnsfather sell for £78 on ebay
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10/02/2008
WW2 Bruce Bairnsfather information Poster. sells for hefty £225 on ebay
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9/02/2008
rare photo of bairnsfather sells for£35 on ebay
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8/2/2008
old bill sketch comes up for sale
The picture is eight and a half by five and a half, the back
of the paper is marked - The National Arts Club New York.
There is a limerick typed on the bottom on a seperate piece of paper as
follows.
Limerick
An agile young golfer named ?
Sat down on a set of false teeth.
Jumping up with a start, he said 'God bless my heart'!
I believe I've been bitten beneath.
any body interested with offers please email me joebristow@aol.com
and i will forward details to the seller
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old bill sketch sells twice in a matter of a couple of weeks first for £250 then for a mere £112
17 x22 inches
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25/02/2008
large old bill sketch sells for £350
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9/2/2008
Rare letter sells at auction
BAIRNSFATHER BRUCE, (1888-1959) British Cartoonist. A.L.S., Bruce Bairnsfather, two pages, 4to, trimmed to the upper edge with partial loss of printed address but not text, Petworth, Sussex, n.d., to a gentleman. The cartoonist grants his correspondent permission 'to make use of my character “Old Bill” in the script which you are writing for playing at the Albert Hall next year.' although adds that he would want to approve the dialogue and actions. Bairnsfather continues 'I expect that reference to my several books of “Fragments from France” would provide you with considerable material, and help you to keep him in character.' In concluding he wishes the show and script every success. About VG
this websites host joe bristow was lucky enough to purchase this rare item writern in the late 40`s
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21/01/2008
after popular demand the forsale pages is back please click on the page and checkout collectables that are on offer
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.14/01/2008
rare photo sells for £26.47 on ebay 
| Subject(s): |
Bruce Bairnsfather |
| Setting: |
With Wife and Secretary |
| Date (approx.): |
1930 |
| Photographer: |
Bain News Service |
| Still Number: |
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| Size (inches): |
5x7 |
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19/12/2007 CHRISTIES
WW2 DRAWING sells for £1300 plus comission
'Well, if yer knows of a better 'ole, go to it!'
Description:
Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959)
'Well, if yer knows of a better 'ole, go to it!'
signed 'Bruce/Bairnsfather' (lower right) and inscribed and dated '"Well, if yer knows of a better 'ole, go to it!"/Bystander 1915' (lower middle)
black ink and grey wash
6¼ x 8¾ in. (15.8 x 22.2 cm.)
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11/12/2007
Rare " Old Bill " Bruce Bairnsfather cloth doll, measures 37 cms high,sells on ebay for £103.65
8 original monochrome/watercolour paintings have been unearthed 23/11/2007. Drawn originally for a book/books, dated late 1916/early 1917. All showing very strong, non-humorous material. One of these drawings was drawn for Patrick McGill (more details on him below). Many thanks to Steve Clark and his family for their kind hospitality and a word of thanks also to Mark Stephens for his valued opinion pre-purchase.
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| Patrick MacGill was born on Christmas Eve, 1889. The first of eleven children to William and Bridget MacGill ,small farm holders of the Glen of Glenties "The Big Glen" Co.Donegal.[ See Map]. Patrick or "Pat" as he was known left school at 12 years of age,and in common with his childhood companions followed the road to Strabane Hiring Fair,the Irish equivalent of the slave auction.[See Notice]. Patrick was hired to work for a farmer in Co.Tyrone. It was not long however until he ,at the age of 14 years , joined a squad of "Tatie-Howkers", adolescent boys and girls who, led by an experienced adult man "The Ganger" formed groups of seasonal migrants, traveled to mainly Ayrshire and other areas in South-West Scotland to harvest the potato crop.At the end of the season it seems Patrick did not return to Donegal, But stayed in Scotland and was employed by the Caledonian Railway Co. as a Navvy , a term derived from the word Navigator ,orig. An itinerant labourer on the canals and waterways of England in the 18th Cent. Patrick however became eventually a platelayer and by continual reading and writing, acquired a basic education which his childhood had deprived him of. At the age of 19 years he self-published eight thousand copies of a small book ( 56pp) printed by The Derry Journal which he called "Gleanings from a Navvy's Scrapbook". Patrick was still working on the railway and living in Greenock,which at that time was a suburban town of Glasgow. |
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The following year (1911) Patrick was working as a journalist for the London Daily Express.In London he met the Rev.Sir John Neale Dalton, tutor to the Prince of Wales,some say when he went to interview Sir John for the Daily Mail.This meeting resulted in Patrick taking up employment as secretary to Sir John,and set to work in the Chapter Library at Windsor Castle translating Latin MSS. In total MacGill worked for the The Daily Express from Sept./Oct 1911 to January 1912 under the editorship of A.C Pearson. A second volume of poetry followed "Songs of a Navvy"(1911) and a further collection in (1912) when Patrick was living at 4, The Cloisters,Windsor. entitled "Songs of the Dead End",(The Year Book Press,1912,London) Met Margaret Gibbons in 1913 or early 1914, Published his first Novel" Children of the Dead End"(Herbert Jenkins,1914), of which 10,000 copies were printed in March 1914; Described as 'un nuovo grande astro della litteratura inglese' in La Stampa. |
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Upon the outbreak of war in August 1914,Patrick enlisted with The London Irish Rifles,Due to the success of his poetry collections but more especially the popularity of "Children of the Dead End", Patrick was already well known as "The Navvy Poet" at the time of his enlisting. While in France, Patrick contributed articles to The Daily Mail and other British newspapers. Patrick was invalided back to London in 1915 due to an injury recieved at the battle of Loos, and married Margeret Gibbons,the daughter of a Royal Irish Constabulary policeman. Margeret Gibbons was well connected in London society of the day ,and the Macgill's regularly appeared in the newspaper society columns of the time. They bought a house in Queens Road Hendon N.W.London which Patrick renamed St.Margarets in honour of his wife. |
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In 1915 also two further books appeared "The Rat Pit" (Herbert Jenkins,1915) which was a sequel to "Children of the Dead End" and "The Amateur Army"(Herbert Jenkins,1915). Patrick was still a member of The London Irish Rifles and due to his critical treatment of the training regime was under threat of court-martial, However the preface to the book was by Lord Esher, President of The London Territorial Assoc, and this prevented any legal action by the military.Patrick however was transferred to the Intelligence Unit .Patrick continued writing, publishing "The Red Horizon "(Herbert Jenkins,1916) and "The Great Push: An Episode in the Great War.(Herbert Jenkins,1916)and continued the following year with "The Brown Brethren" (Herbert Jenkins,1917). After the war MacGill wrote accounts of the American contribution to the war "The Doughboys" (Herbert Jenkins 1919) and "The Diggers : The Australians in France (Herbert Jenkins 1919) with a foreword by W.M (Billy) Hughes the Australian Prime Minister. Was Published pseudonymously as John ó Gorman. |
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The same year Patrick published another novel "Glenmornan" (Herbert Jenkins 1919) also it appears in an American edition (George H Doran, New York,1918).This novel was not popular in Ireland due to percieved anti-clericalism, the character of Fr.Devany having been based on the negative view of Canon McFadden of Iniskeel. Twin daughters were born to the MacGill's in Sept.1923 ,whom they named Patricia and Christine.The family's status in London litarary circles is indicated by the fact that G.K.Chesterton and T.P O'Connor were Godfathers to the children. In the same year MacGill published "Moleskin Joe" (Herbert Jenkins, 1923). The following year he published "The Carpenter Of Orra" (Herbert Jenkins, 1924) and "Sid Puttiefoot" (Herbert Jenkins, 1926). Later in 1928 another daughter was born whom they named Sheila and published "Una Cassidy" (Herbert Jenkins, 1928) and "The Black Bonar" (Herbert Jenkins, 1928). |
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In 1930 the MacGill's moved to the United States where MacGill Wrote a play "Suspense". Which appeared at the Fulton Theatre, New York for some time in august of 1930, and which was adapted to film the same year with the help of director Walter Summers. In 1934 MacGill published "Tulliver Mill" (Herbert Jenkins, 1934) and "The Glen Of Carra" (Herbert Jenkins, 1934). By now the great depression was in full swing and MacGill had Goerge.H Doran & Co. publish all his previous works for an american audience and to keep his family. It is roumoured that MacGill's wife, Margaret or Mrs. Patrick MacGill, as she was known commerically had set up a drama school in California where they moved so Patrick could get more involved in the Hollywood end of writing. |
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In 1935 Patrick published "The House at the Worlds End" (Herbert Jenkins, 1935), which was followed by "Helen Spenser" (Herbert Jenkins, 1937). Patrick MacGill Died in November, 1963 of multiple sclorious which he had been suffering from for some years previously. In 1980 the Patrick MacGill Summer School was established by former RTE director and Glenties man, Joe Mulholland amongst others and is organised by Patrick's niece, Mary Clare ó Donnell. |
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