An album of 10 colour postcards entitled : "Sketches of Tommy's Life" depicting life of a British (Commonwealth) soldier in WW I. The topics are: At the Base, Out on Rest and Up the LIne. One of them has writing on the back. POSTCARD DEEMED NOT RELEVANT TO THE SEAFORTH COLLECTION. TO BE SOLD ON E-BAY FOR MUSEUM Fergus Mackain is particularly known today for his wartime cards titled 'Sketches of Tommy's Life.' They were full of humour and pathos and showed in some detail what an infantryman's life could be like during the Great War. The 40 cards were published by G. Savigny of Paris and P. Gaultier of Boulogne as four series of ten cards, with each card numbered in its respective series. Superbly done in watercolours and printed on thin card, the series were subtitled ‘In Training’, ‘At the Base’, ’Up the line’ and ‘Out on rest’ and were aimed at British troops, who were urged to tell the folks what was going on in France. Private Fergus Mackain served with the 23rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers - landing in France in April 1915. Mackain captured accurate depictions (in a humourous abd somewhat gentle manner) of a soldiers first experience of training and trench warfare. The cards show a deep understanding of what it was like to be a soldier serving on the Western Front and were obviously based on the artists first hand experience. Each series sold for 1 franc 50. In later reprints this notice appeared on the wrappers; "Owing to the great shortage in the supply of paper, and to the great increase in its price, the number of cards in each set has been reduced to 8 cards instead of 10." As previously mentioned, "Sketches of Tommy's life." were published by Gaultier of Boulogne - who was well placed to sell these cards - the town hosted the main port for British forces arriving in France and nearby was the huge British base and training camp at Etaples. Boulogne was also a leave town and therefore an excellent outlet for Mackain's cards. They were eagerly snapped up by troops because they illustrated various aspects of a soldier's life in France and were ideal images to sent to family and friends at home. Mackain's realistic illustrations have been likened to Bainsfather’s drawings – "but without the noise and confusion".