Alban Butler Jr was a Captain in the 1st Field Artillery Brigade and later the 1st Infantry Division and attached to the staff of General Charles Summerall. He was also a gifted artist who used his skills to do cartoons of what he saw while with the division through WWI. He did his cartoons for publication in the brigade's newspaper; The Observer. This is what was then called a trench newspaper that made its rounds with the troops offering news and entertainment to those stuck on the lines.

His observations via cartoons was hugely popular. So much so that the paper made the rounds of the French allies and frequently had to be reprinted to meet demand. It is one of the more fondly remembered things that the men of the 1st brought back with them from the war.

Not all of his cartoons were published. Actually, about half made it into the paper, for various reasons. Fortunately Butler survived the war as did his complete folio of cartoons. In 1928, at the tenth anniversary reunion of the 1st Infantry Division, a book containing all his works during the war was published. This is a reprint of that book.

The book itself is very well done with commentary from the author on each of the entries. About the only thing I would improve is the size of the book. His work is so detailed that I had trouble making out everything in the cartoon. What you see on the cover is easily twice the size of the images in the book. Nevertheless, it is an excellent read and a look at times gone by, along with the men who served.

Most highly recommended.

 November 2011

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