£3,000

Oil on canvas, 24 X 18 ins. (61 X 46 cms.)

The picture shows a Salvation Army songster (singer) with standard Salvation Army props: flag, drum and timbrel. Flags bore the Army motto of 'Blood and Fire' and additionally the name of the Corps (local church) or band. The style of bonnet worn by the Songster did not appear till the 1930s. Whilst a tradition of painting Salvation Army Generals existed, portraits of songsters are rare. In the late 1930s the Army was under the command of Evangeline Booth, fourth daughter of the founder. Membership of the Army had peaked in 1920, but it was still in a healthy state, with pioneering work commencing in Uganda, Algeria and Egypt.