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SHEPARD, E. H.
Collection of Christmas cards and military reunion invitations.
A collection of twenty-seven Christmas cards and fifteen military reunion invitations, many designed and signed by Shepard. All twenty-seven of the greeting cards were designed by Shepard for his family's Christmas and New Year celebrations. Six are inscribed by Shepard and one features Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore, while two other cards include characters from The Wind in the Willows. In addition to the holiday cards there are fifteen invitations to reunion dinners of the 24th Brigade of the Royal Garrison Artillery. All the cards for the first through tenth dinners, as well as those for the fourteenth through eighteenth, are present. Six of the cards are illustrated by Shepard and thirteen of them are signed by him along with other members of the brigade. At the outbreak of the First World War Shepard sought a commission with the Royal Artillary, having always been "fascinated with guns" (ODNB). He served with the 105th Seige Battery, and in 1916 he began sketching combat areas for the Intelligence Department. Shepard saw action at the Somme, Arras, and Ypres, and at the end of the war was serving as a Major in Italy. The final card in this collection, dated 1939, is particularly nice. Illustrated by Shepard, it depicts his younger self in a First World War trench and, below that, his middle-aged self as an Air Raid Protection Warden in an Anderson shelter. This collection of greeting cards and invitations was owned by fellow soldier Harold Scott, known to the regiment as "Scotty". Provenance: from the collection of Pat McInally.
27 cards of varying sizes Lightly rubbed, some cards with tiny marks, the first dinner invitation with some staining. Excellent condition overall.
