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| SS Lapland in camouflage 1918 (not related to text) |
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COLOR "COVER": Pioneers of Camouflage in The Telegraph. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on October 3, 1927—
Who Invented camouflage?
The recent death of Mr. Solomon J. Solomon, R.A., the famous artist, who was one of the pioneers of camouflage during the war, has made many people ask that question. For, though there was at first a tendency to describe him as the inventor of the art, It soon became obvious that there were other claimants to the honor.
As a matter of fact, It would seem that it was the Germans who first used this particular kind of deception during the war, although, thanks to the ingenuity of Mr. Solomon and his colleagues, we soon beat them at their own game.
It was, however, Britishers who first saw, before the outbreak of hostilities, that developments of this kind were necessary in modern war. As long ago as September 1905, a consulting engineer, Mr. Reginald Ryves, put forward an idea for the painting of ships to deceive an enemy, on practically the lines which were afterwards adopted. He added suggestions for the painting of guns and wagons.
Also some years before 1914 Mr. [Joseph Williams] Lovibond, a brewer, made experiments with painted screens for hiding gun positions. His system was demonstrated to the War Office, whose representative was much impressed by the success of the device. But nothing further was done, and it was only after the Germans had started it that we began to think seriously about the possibilities of camouflage.
It Is tragic when we think how many lives might have been saved had Mr. Lovibond's ideas—or Mr. Ryves's—been adopted earlier!
The real credit for the invention of camouflage must, however, be given to Nature. Look at the wonderful protective coloring of certain birds and insects—how they fit into the scenes which they commonly frequent. Or take the tiger. He looks conspicuous enough when we see him at the zoo, but in his native jungle he is practically invisible until the moment that it suits him to be otherwise.
But in one way at least we had begun to learn the lessons those animals had to teach even before we called upon Mr. Solomon to hide our guns from the enemy, or Mr. Norman Wilkinson to paint our ships so that no one could tell which way they were going. Our field service uniform of khaki was chosen because it blended naturally with the color of the surrounding country in many of the lands where our troops had had to operate.
COLOR "COVER": Pioneers of Camouflage in The Telegraph. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on October 3, 1927—
Who Invented camouflage?
The recent death of Mr. Solomon J. Solomon, R.A., the famous artist, who was one of the pioneers of camouflage during the war, has made many people ask that question. For, though there was at first a tendency to describe him as the inventor of the art, It soon became obvious that there were other claimants to the honor.
As a matter of fact, It would seem that it was the Germans who first used this particular kind of deception during the war, although, thanks to the ingenuity of Mr. Solomon and his colleagues, we soon beat them at their own game.
It was, however, Britishers who first saw, before the outbreak of hostilities, that developments of this kind were necessary in modern war. As long ago as September 1905, a consulting engineer, Mr. Reginald Ryves, put forward an idea for the painting of ships to deceive an enemy, on practically the lines which were afterwards adopted. He added suggestions for the painting of guns and wagons.
Also some years before 1914 Mr. [Joseph Williams] Lovibond, a brewer, made experiments with painted screens for hiding gun positions. His system was demonstrated to the War Office, whose representative was much impressed by the success of the device. But nothing further was done, and it was only after the Germans had started it that we began to think seriously about the possibilities of camouflage.
It Is tragic when we think how many lives might have been saved had Mr. Lovibond's ideas—or Mr. Ryves's—been adopted earlier!
The real credit for the invention of camouflage must, however, be given to Nature. Look at the wonderful protective coloring of certain birds and insects—how they fit into the scenes which they commonly frequent. Or take the tiger. He looks conspicuous enough when we see him at the zoo, but in his native jungle he is practically invisible until the moment that it suits him to be otherwise.
But in one way at least we had begun to learn the lessons those animals had to teach even before we called upon Mr. Solomon to hide our guns from the enemy, or Mr. Norman Wilkinson to paint our ships so that no one could tell which way they were going. Our field service uniform of khaki was chosen because it blended naturally with the color of the surrounding country in many of the lands where our troops had had to operate.
