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Building a Hutted Camp in Essex

Image credit: British Council Collection

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Notes

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Richards was called up for National Service three months after he began his studies at the Royal College of Art, London. He trained originally as a sapper (a military engineer) in Northumberland, Wiltshire and Suffolk, but had his heart set on becoming a paratrooper. This wish was eventually granted when he was accepted for training in 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron based at Ringway in Manchester. Life as a sapper was dull and he sought consolation when he could in painting and, by the time he reached Ringway, had completed over 20 works which he submitted to the War Artists Advisory Committee. They accepted eight of his oils of which this is one, purchased in 1942. Richard described it in a letter to the Committee: 'One painting deals with the building of a 'Hutted camp' in Essex – a very pleasant form of work – most of the work of a sapper does is the work of destruction, whether it be a bridge, pill-box or a man. To be given the chance to create is one of the rewards for so much destruction. We arrived at the sight of the 'Hutted camp'. A field with woods, on two sides, a road on the third and a field on the fourth side. Upon this field we built a camp to house two hundred men. The work was very interesting… The camp took about 3 months to build, much hard work was put in. Most of us were as sorry to part with that camp as an artist is with his picture.'

British Council Collection

London

Title

Building a Hutted Camp in Essex

Date

1942

Medium

oil on cardboard

Measurements

H 60.4 x W 76.3 cm

Accession number

P160

Acquisition method

presented by the War Artists Advisory Committee, 1946

Work type

Painting

Inscription description

brc: Albert Richards 41

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British Council Collection

British Council, 1 Redman Place, London, Greater London E20 1JQ England

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