The Navy and Army Illustrated Cover 1899

''The Navy and Army Illustrated'' was an illustrated glossy journal or magazine that covered historical and contemporary military matters from 1895 to 1915. First published in 1895 by

George Newnes Sir George Newnes, 1st Baronet (13 March 1851 – 9 June 1910) was a British publisher and editor and a founding figure in popular journalism. Newnes also served as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament for two decades. His company, George Newnes ...

, ''The Navy and Army Illustrated'' described itself as 'A Magazine Descriptive and Illustrative of Everyday Life in the Defensive Services of the British Empire'. The first series, published between 1895 and 1903, was edited by Commander

Charles Napier Robinson Charles Napier Robinson (27 January 1849 – 14 September 1936) was an English journalist and story writer. After a career in the Royal Navy, during which he achieved the rank of Commander, he became a journalist, specialising in naval matters. ...

. Originally published fortnightly and priced at 6d, its publication was later increased to weekly. From 1903 it amalgamated with ''The King'',''The Navy and Army Illustrated''
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Royal Museums Greenwich Royal Museums Greenwich is an organisation comprising four museums in Greenwich, east London, illustrated below. The Royal Museums Greenwich Foundation is a Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital use of 'Limited' exemption, co ...

website another magazine from the same publishing house and was renamed ''The King and His Navy and Army'' following which much of the military content was dropped and by 1905 interest in the magazine was fading. It was relaunched in 1906 and again in August 1914 with the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

when it was republished in a new series and reverted to its original title.''The Navy and Army Illustrated''
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Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

website The magazine was aimed at a wide audience - 'all who are interested in the welfare of the British Empire and those who had friends or relatives in the service of the Queen' - and profusely illustrated with photographs and artwork in black and white, of battleships, historic military events such as battles, military parades, officers and men in elaborate uniforms and soldiers and sailors going about their duties, set against a backdrop of the home barracks such as

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...

contrasted with settings from the far flung and exotic

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. For many young men who sought a life of travel and adventure the magazine was a subtle means of recruitment into the pre-

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

British armed forces, encouraging them to serve 'Queen or King and Country'. While much of the periodical's content concerned the might and majesty of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

and

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

occasionally more human experiences were covered such as the story of the brave young sailor 1st Class Boy C. R. Field who in a posed photograph taken on board the training ship ''Impregnable'' in 1897 proudly wears the bronze Brave Conduct Medal awarded to him by the

Royal Humane Society The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near dro ...

for his unsuccessful attempt to rescue a drowning comrade who had fallen overboard one night. Without thought for his own personal safety Field had leapt into the stormy sea but soon got into difficulty himself leading to both being rescued by a boat.'C. R. Field - Gallant Sailor Boy' - ''The Navy and Army Illustrated'', 30 April 1897, p. 291 It is presumed that publication ended sometime during 1915 as no volumes after that year are held in any of the national libraries.

References

External links

Article on ''The Navy and Army Illustrated''
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The Genealogist ''The Genealogist'' is a bi-annual genealogical journal founded in 1980 by Neil D. Thompson, a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists (ASG). Articles are published in full detail, including references. The journal allows shorter articles ...

'', 13 January 2017 {{DEFAULTSORT:Navy and Army Illustrated, The Publications established in 1895 1895 establishments in England 1915 disestablishments in England Publications disestablished in 1915 Weekly magazines published in the United Kingdom Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines published in London Magazines established in 1895 Magazines disestablished in 1915 Victorian era George Newnes Ltd magazines