Archive for June, 2007

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Tortoise in the rain

Posted in Absurd, Animals on Saturday, 30 June 2007

Gregory Grasshopper and Tortoise in the rain (illustration, picture, art)

By way of some light relief (to the British weather), here is a picture of a tortoise in the rain, accompanied by his friend Gregory Grasshopper. For more of Gregory Grasshopper, click here.

Men in the rain

Posted in Nature on Saturday, 30 June 2007

Men in the rain (illustration, picture, artwork: Angus McBride)

A particularly “damp” picture by Angus McBride, selected as a further comment on the current British weather.

Indian monsoon

Posted in Nature on Saturday, 30 June 2007

Indian monsoon (art, illustration, picture: Gerry Wood)

As the UK is hit by torrential rains, here — for its similarities — is a picture of an Indian monsoon, by Gerry Wood who was one of Look and Learn‘s main illustrators during the final years of the magazine.

The First Crusade

Posted in History, Religion on Friday, 29 June 2007

Peter the Hermit (artwork, illustration, picture: Gerry Embleton)

From the earliest centuries of Christianity, Palestine had been the goal of pilgrims from the West. Jerusalem fell into the hands of Arab Moslems in the 7th century, but there continued a spirit of tolerance between them and the thousands of pilgrims who annually flooded into the city. The pilgrims needed to be fed, transported and housed, and the Arabs in Jerusalem drew a comfortable income from the provision of these humdrum needs.

Then, in the late 9th century, the Turks, Moslems themselves, drove out the Arabs and a new era began. Fiercer and more fanatical than their predecessors, the Turks destroyed the profitable tolerance that had existed. Persecution and extortion began and returning pilgrims brought bitter tales of the indignities to which they had been subjected.

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The longest horns

Posted in Animals, Geography on Friday, 29 June 2007

Long horned cattle (picture, illustration: Kenneth Lily)

These magnificent long-horned cattle belong to the Bahima herdsmen of Uganda. To these herdsmen the cattle mean practically everything, supplying them with meat, milk and hides, the latter being cured and used for a great many domestic purposes.
The cattle are also held sacred by the Bahimas, and are regarded as the living religious symbol of their god. Not only this: a man’s social standing is relative to the number of cattle he owns.

By tradition, each animal is given a name. usually with some reference to its colour and markings. It is said that the animals know their own names and will answer to them when called.

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The school dinner lady

Posted in Britain in the 60s on Thursday, 28 June 2007

School lunch/dinner lady (illustration, picture)

This evocative picture is from the series ‘People You See’ which appeared in Teddy Bear magazine in the early 1960s.

The picture of Anne of Cleves

Posted in Art, History on Thursday, 28 June 2007

Henry VIII and portrait of Anne of Cleves (picture, illustration, comic: Angus McBride)

Holbein was sent by Henry VIII to paint the young Princess Anne of Cleves, whom the King had never seen but thought he would like to marry. This picture is by Angus McBride. Below is a picture by Peter Jackson of the same subject.

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Bull fighting protest

Posted in Adventure, Animals on Thursday, 28 June 2007

Bull fight protest (illustration, picture, comic: Angus McBride)

The young explorer Fred Walker had taken an instant dislike to bull-fighting. And he did not let the matter rest. Leaping into the arena, he determined to make an unforgettable protest. An action-filled picture by Angus McBride.

Tennis – old and new

Posted in Sport on Wednesday, 27 June 2007

Edwardian tennis mixed doubles (picture, illustration: Peter Jackson)

In honour of Wimbledon, here are two tennis pictures from our archive. Above an old game of mixed doubles, and below a newer (ie 1960s) game of men’s singles.

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Corinth – Citadel at the Crossroads

Posted in Geography, History on Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Corinth (illustration, picture: Roger Payne)

Dominating the narrow land passage between the Peleponnese and mainland Greece, and controlling the crossing of ships over the isthmus, Corinth became rich and powerful. A fine classical illustration by Roger Payne.