ANZAC PICTURES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 5

ANZAC PICTURES

Sir,—Will you grant me a littlo fepaco in your valuable columns in which to draw attention to tho collection of water-colour sketches, photographs. and maps by Sapper Moorc'Jorios, advertised as "tho Anssac pictures." Tho title proves, I think, rather misleading to tho cursory newspaper reader. One is so' used to the .Various picture theatre shows that tho Iword "pictures" seems to boloug to Imoving-pictures, and I have found quite a number of people who had >10 idea of the artistic merit or the historic interest offered them under tho jnodest announcement of Sapper Moore- ' Jones's "Anzac pictures." Nor lias sufficient attention been drawn to tho ,very high artistic standard of these sketches, as sketches, quite apart from the engrossing value they must possess to aft young natioii, the very flower of whose manhood lies buried there. It is understood that the complcto collection is .under offer to'our Government. It is rumoured, that with duo regard to war economies there is some doubt as to whether they can be acquired as a national collection. If this is so, surely some steps should be taken, and promptly taken, to ensuro our acquisition of the collection by other means. That we whose sons, whose liushands .or brothers, orossetl the world to do the deeds of super-men,, tad send the name of New Zealand ringing with honour through the glad coming years of pcaoe, should lose tho opportunity of making those historic sketches by a New Zealander our own, 5 s unthinkable. I have 110 doubt that oven if one of our wealthy and patriotic families does not—on being fully acquainted with the matter—docido to present thom to tho nation, a dozen of nur wealthy men subscribing from tho four centres might, without a moment's hesitation make up the required sum. ■As the mother of a son who fou«iit with tho Auzacs, in Egypt, 011 Gallipoli, and —thank Heaven —is still spared to fight ill Franco, I should feel nroud to give my country such a gift had I. the means. We do not sufficiently realise the high imselfish pleasure of bestowing our treasures upon the nation, and thus building im a national and patriotic feeling, which will be an ethical possession to the land we love when we and all our little faults and follies, joys and sorrows, are forgotten.'—l am, etc., MOTHER OF AN ANZAC.