Watercolour portrait, Lofthouse Park internee, 1917

Watercolour portrait, Lofthouse Park internee, 1917

Collected in 2025

This watercolour shows an internee at Lofthouse Park camp in Wakefield during the First World War. It is dated Easter 1917 and is signed 'V Beudery.' The painting is dedicated on the back, 'To my Darling Win with fondest Love from Hans, Easter 1917, Lofthouse Park, Wakefield.' Beudery was likely the artist and Hans was perhaps the sitter.

Handwritten inscription on the back of the portrait

Lofthouse Park was originally an amusement park on the tram line between Leeds and Wakefield. It was built by the tram company but was unsuccessful. When war broke out in 1914, the park became an internment camp.

Anti-German feeling was high in Britain at the time. Germany had appealed to Germans living outside the country to join their army. This led to a lot of fear and mistrust in Britain. In response, the government created internment camps for German men of fighting age.

There had been a lot of German migration to Wakefield in the 1800s. In particular, many German pork butchers arrived in the city. Industrialisation and a new urban population led to a demand for their products.

Around 1500 men who had links to Germany, Austria, Hungary or the Ottoman (Turkish) empire were sent to the Lofthouse camp. Many were middle class and able to pay for their board. They paid other interns for services such as barbering or tailoring. This helped those men to afford their keep.

The interns entertained themselves by studying and being creative. Painting this portrait may have been a way to pass the time. They also put on plays and performances. Photographs suggest they were quite ambitious productions with costumes and sets.

Scrapbook page showing photos of theatrical productions at the camp