A Royal Birthday Review (?) on Southsea Common

original art: drawing. This drawing has the received title 'Birthday Review, Portsmouth' (ie a royal birthday review) though not inscribed visibly on it. If that is correct it was probably drawn in the early 1920s, since it is in fact of Southsea Common looking south-west to Spithead, with the naval monument to those of the Navy and Royal Marines lost in the First World War, erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to the design of Sir Robert Lorimer. (Pavilion extensions were added after the Second World War, so it looks different today.) The low fortification on the right is Southsea Castle but the ship with the yellow funnel is not readily identifiable. The review itself is one involving troops of some sort, and the groups shown suggest artillery teams for firing a salute, so other sketches in the collection such as PAD0950,PAD9958, PAD9969 and PAD9975, may have been made on this or a similar occasion. [PvdM 6/13]

Object Details

ID: PAE1385
Collection: Fine art
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Wyllie, William Lionel
Places: Unlinked place
Date made: After 1918
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: 255 mm x 357 mm