Our November newsletter features a splendid new set of Battle of Waterloo images from the National Army Museum, in good time for the bicentenary next year. We also have news of the publication of our book about the First World War cartoons of Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, dubbed 'the man who won the war'. And there's a great new collection of aviation photographs courtesy of Hugh W. Cowin, as well as oodles of Medici Society images that can now be used on greetings cards.

Battle of Waterloo, 200 years on

The bicentenary of one of the most earth-shattering military events in European history is to be commemorated next year when June 18th marks 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo. The battle, which was fought 13km south of Brussels in Belgium, brought an end to a campaign which had stretched out over 20 years involving many nations. Napoleon's final defeat against an Anglo-Allied force commanded by the Duke of Wellington and a Prussian army commanded by General Blücher heralded half a century of peace in Europe.

We have just uploaded a great new set of oil paintings, prints and objects from the National Army Museum showing aspects of the battle, weapons, and personalities which can be viewed here.

For more details about international Waterloo commemorations, go to www.waterloo200.org, while www.theculturalexperience.com is offering packages to see the incredible battle re-enactment planned for the weekend of 19th and 20th June 2015 on the Waterloo battlefield.

The man who won the war

We're delighted to announce the publication this week of A Better 'Ole: The Brilliant Bruce Bairnsfather and the First World War, in association with Mary Evans Picture Library, written by our 'writer-in-residence', Luci Gosling, and illustrated by images from The Bystander, part of the Illustrated London News archive housed here.

A Better 'Ole published by The History Press brings together more than 100 of Bruce Bairnsfather's Great War cartoons, and examines the remarkable career of a man who General Sir Ian Hamilton declared had 'drawn a smile from sadness itself by his skill in poking fun at tragedy'.

The book is available from The History Press, Amazon and all good bookshops!

We'd also like to highlight a recognition campaign for Bruce Bairnsfather organised by Tonie and Valmai Holt, Bairnsfather's original biographers, who are campaigning for the artist's contribution to be properly and officially recognised. You can read more about this and sign the petition here.

The Christmas truce

Staying on the subject of Captain Bairnsfather, the world premiere of a play drawing on Bairnsfather's experience during the first winter of the war in 1914 opens on 29th November at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The RSC's production of The Christmas Truce by Phil Porter sees a generation of young men far away from their loved ones at Christmas in the trenches of the Western Front, where on Christmas Eve 1914 something remarkable happens. Bairnsfather's most famous cartoon character 'Old Bill' is brought to life in the play, while a free exhibition exploring Bairnsfather's life and work runs alongside the production.

For more about the play, and to book tickets, click here. And to view a selection of images of the truce in December 1914, the 100th anniversary of which is fast approaching, click here.

Magnificent flying machines

A fantastic new collection of aviation images has recently been added to our website from the personal archive of Hugh W. Cowin. Hugh is an eminent writer on aviation and military history, and has amassed hundreds of interesting images of aircraft during World Wars One and Two, as well as photographs of pilots, aeroplane designers, and later 20th century aircraft.

Click here for edited highlights.

New greeting card images available

We wanted to draw your attention to a whole raft of new images from the vast collection of The Medici Society that have just become available for use on greeting cards as well as for all other commercial and editorial uses.

The Medici Society was founded in 1908 to bring artists' work to a wider public, and the latest batch to have their restrictions lifted includes animals, florals, religious images, Christmas designs, sporting scenes, interiors and pastorals. Many would make ideal book covers, cards or calendar images.

You can view this newly-released group of over 1600 images here.

Let us know what you think

We welcome your feedback about this newsletter or any aspect of the Mary Evans Picture Library. Please write to us at pictures@maryevans.com. If you'd rather be unsubscribed from our mailing list, please click here.

Best wishes,

Mary Evans Picture Library