First World War internee watercolour of hut interior
Date made: 1914-1918
Artist: unknown
Description: A watercolour sketch of the interior of the corner of an internment chalet at Douglas Internment Camp by an unknown artist. The interior is timber lined with dark wood tongue and groove dado panelling and a built-in cupboard in the corner flanked by two rows of wooden shelves (one with books and one with an internee-made picture frame). There are some paintings on the wall and in one corner is a small curtained 'closet' (possibly to hang clothes. There appears to be several rugs or pieces of linoleum on the floor (some with coloured floral patterns). The furniture includes a single bed, a small handmade table (with a green table cloth and vase of roses), a rush seat chair and an arm chair. The brass oil lamp suspended from the ceiling has a coloured piece of fabric (silk) over it. Through the window the small castellated white building on the edge of Douglas Camp and the sea can be seen.
The watercolour sketch of the interior is similar to the glass negatives of Douglas Camp chalet interiors; MNH collection Reference No.: PG/7870/36995 shows a silk scarf over an oil lamp as in the sketch.
Background:
During the First World War (1914-1918) the Isle of Man was used as an internment base for civilian ‘enemy aliens’. They were held in two camps, a requisitioned holiday camp in Douglas and a purpose built camp located at Knockaloe near Peel on the west coast of the Island. These held at their peaks over 4,000 and 23,000 men in some cases for nearly five years between opening in 1914 and final closure in 1919.
Measurements: overall: 32.3 cm x 25.5 cm
Materials: paper
Object name: watercolour painting
Collection: Art Collection
ID number: 2008-0170/5
Subject tags : #WW1INTERNMENTMUSEUMCOLLECTIONS