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Bystander front cover, Bairnsfather cartoon, German shells

Bystander front cover, Bairnsfather cartoon, German shells


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Bystander front cover, Bairnsfather cartoon, German shells

Alas! My poor brother Cartoon by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather on the front cover of The Bystander showing a stereotypical German munitions worker pouring glycerine into a shell case and opining, Alas! My poor brother. The cartoon was a comment on unsubstantiated claims in the British press, specifically the Daily Mail, about the existence of the Kadaververwertungsanstalten (literally Corpse-Utilization Factories), also sometimes called the German Corpse-Rendering Works or Tallow Factory A story was spread that because fats were so scarce in Germany due to the British naval blockade, German battlefield corpses were rendered down for fat, which was then used to manufacture nitroglycerine, candles, lubricants, and even boot dubbing. It was supposedly operated behind the front lines by the DAVG-Deutsche Abfall-Verwertungs Gesellschaft (German Offal Utilization Company). It was one of the most tasteless anti-German propagandist rumours of the war, and magazine cartoonists used it as a theme at the time the story broke such as in the case of this cover by Bairnsfather. By the 1920s, it became clear that the story had been fabricated. Date: 1917

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Media ID 20160817

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Bubblepunk

Anti Bairnsfather Bruce Bystander Case Corpse Factories Manufacture Munitions Propaganda Rendering Shell Shells Stereotypical Worker Glycerine Utilisation Utilization


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EDITORS COMMENTS
Alas! My poor brother": A Satirical Commentary on the Myth of German Corpse Utilization Factories during World War I This thought-provoking cartoon by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, published on the front cover of The Bystander in 1917, offers a poignant commentary on the unfounded rumors that circulated during World War I regarding the supposed German Corpse-Utilization Factories, or Kadaververwertungsanstalten. The image depicts a stereotypical German munitions worker, with a melancholic expression, as he pours glycerine into a shell case, lamenting, "Alas! My poor brother." The rumors of these factories, which were also referred to as the German Corpse-Rendering Works or Tallow Factories, emerged during the war due to the British press, most notably the Daily Mail. The stories claimed that, due to the severe shortage of fats in Germany caused by the British naval blockade, German battlefield corpses were being rendered down for their fat. This fat was then allegedly used to manufacture nitroglycerine, candles, lubricants, and even boot dubbing. The rumors were fueled by the DAVG, or Deutsche Abfall-Verwertungs Gesellschaft (German Offal Utilization Company), which was erroneously believed to be operating behind the front lines. The story quickly spread, and magazine cartoonists, including Bairnsfather, used it as a theme in their work. However, by the 1920s, it became clear that the story of the German Corpse-Utilization Factories was a fabrication. The myth served as a grim reminder of the power of propaganda during wartime and the importance of factual reporting. This Bairnsfather cartoon, with its poignant caption and powerful imagery, stands as a testament to the enduring impact of these false claims on public opinion during World War I. Date: 1917.

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