The War Office

This etching of The War Office appeared in Monk’s Calendar, Calendarium Londinense, for the year 1919. The calendar which appeared each year from 1903 was published jointly by the artist William Monk and Elkin Mathews until 1922 and solely by Monk until his death in 1937.

The etching was the headpiece (the principal image) which features the War Office at night with search lights raking the clouds behind it. A gun carriage progresses from right to left across the image.

For the first time a verse replaced the thought for the year. It read
'If well thou hast begun
Go on foreright
It is the End
That crownes us
Not the Fight'

Monk was born in Chester in 1863 and moved to London. Iin 1894 he became an Associate of the Society of Painter Etchers which set out to demonstrate that etching was as much art as painting. It led to the revival of British etching exemplified by the introduction of this Calendar.