Absurd Gallery

Sad End of a German Spy Behind the British Line, WW1

The Sad End of a German Spy Behind the British Line. He foolishly endeavoured to obtain information from our sign boards!! The General Staff at this time were so persistent in our labelling every defensive work or secret road that the whole thing became a huge joke. Annotated on back of picture - A Skit on a system which at first useful has now grown to an absurdity as not only are they confusing to the Infantry (to whom they are intended as a guide), but they also give all our confidential positions away to any spies, to any Germans who may capture one of the posts, the whole surrounding military features are at a glance exposed. By Lieutenant Major John Empson Tindall, MC (b.1885). He joined the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant and rose to the rank of Captain in the 1st Home Counties Field Company, Royal Engineers (later the 490th Field Company, Royal Engineers), 8th Division, BEF and then became Major commanding the 505th (Wessex) Field Company, 57th Division, BEF

© David Cohen Fine Art/Mary Evans Picture Library

Lewis Carroll (b/w photo)

5668963 Lewis Carroll (b/w photo) by Rejlander, Oscar Gustav (1813-1875); (add.info.: Victorian photograph taken by Oscar Gustave Rejlander (1813-1875). Photograph of original cabinet card.
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898): English author, mathematician and photographer. Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, he adopted the pen name Lewis Carroll publishing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865.); Photo A© AF Fotografie; British, out of copyright

© © AF Fotografie / Bridgeman Images

Congressional pugilists: Griswold and Lyon, at Congress Hall, Philadelphia, PA

1078599 Congressional pugilists: Griswold and Lyon, at Congress Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 1798 (etching) by American School, (18th century); Collection of the New-York Historical Society, USA; (add.info.: A crude portrayal of a fight on the floor of Congress between Representative Matthew Lyon of Vermont and Representative Roger Griswold of Connecticut. The row was originally prompted by an insulting reference to Lyon on Griswold's part. The interior of Congress Hall is shown; as are Speaker Jonathan Dayton and Clerk Jonathan W. Condy (both seated), Chaplain Ashbel Green (in profile on the left), and several others. Griswold, armed with a cane, kicks Lyon, who grasps the former's arm and raises a pair of fireplace tongs to strike him. Below are the verses: "He in a trice struck Lyon thrice / Upon his head, enrag'd sir, / Who seiz'd the tongs to ease his wrongs, / And Griswold thus engag'd, sir."
unidentified); A© New York Historical Society ; American, out of copyright

© © New York Historical Society / Bridgeman Images