Heath Robinson at War

To coincide with the 100th anniversary of the First World War, we shall be showing a wide selection of Heath Robinson’s humorous drawings from both World Wars.

The exhibition will contain about sixty pieces of original artwork together with books, Christmas cards made for different military units and letters from the troops and the public thanking him for his morale-raising efforts, with suggestions of subjects for future drawings.

In each World War, Heath Robinson demonstrated his ability to counter, by the application of gentle satire and absurdity, both the pompous German propaganda and the fear and depression engendered by the horrors of war. He wrote:

‘I believe that our sense of humour played a greater part than we were always aware of in saving us from despair during those days of trial.’

The subject matter also gave him immense scope to devise ever more ingenious contraptions.