Spencer drew this portrait when working alongside Albert Seager in the Royal Army Medical Corps, at the Beaufort Military Hospital near Bristol, in the early years of his WW1 service.  It is very rare as few drawings from this period are known to have survived.

 Albert was 19 when he joined up, leaving behind his job as a clerk in a brewery in Bristol.  He came from Meadow Street, a solid working class area, where his father had been employed at the local vinegar works. Albert survived his wartime experience and became a chauffeur at the Head Office of WD & HO Wills tobacco company.  Later in life he married Eileen Copestake, who recalled him being a good and able sportsman. The portrait hung in his family home for many years until it was gifted to the Gallery by Eileen’s daughter.

Gifted by Albert Seager’s Family 2017