Donald's navy

This talk offers a light-hearted exploration of contemporary attitudes towards the Royal Navy and the British sailor, using the postcard artwork of Donald McGill; the “King of the Saucy Seaside Postcard”.

In a career spanning nearly 60 years, McGill is said to have produced an estimated 12,000 different postcard designs, selling over 200 million cards.

During the Edwardian period, images of the Royal Navy and the British sailor were often used to promote and sell a wide range of commercial products. However, being an iconic part of British national life also meant that they were fair game for satirists and cartoonists like McGill.