Maj. Gen. J.D.P. French

Printed at bottom of card-mount:-
WOVEN IN PURE SILK.
 

silk:
8.9cm deep by 6.4cm wide

by Godden:
General French, who was born on 28 September 1852, originally served in the navy but transferred to the army. He served in South Africa from 1898 to 1901, being promoted to Major-General in 1899 and to Lieutenant-General in May 1900. Later, he served in France, was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1918 to 1921, and was created Earl of Ypres in 1921. General French died in May 1925.

Two Stevens silk portraits were made depicting GENERAL FRENCH. This short title was first listed on label 31+39 of 1901.

The first portrait, above, shows General French facing half left, with the name 'Maj-Gen J. D. P. French' woven on a ribbon and, below this, a view of two army scouts - one mounted, one dismounted.
It appears to have been copied from a photograph in The Sphere magazine of 17 February 1900. However, the Stevens title was soon out of date, for by June 1900 he had been promoted to Lieutenant-General.

The second and later version shows a full-face view of the now FIELD MARSHALL SIR JOHN FRENCH, with the Union Jack flying below [so272 on this site]. This very rare version is found on type F card-mounts with the post-1906 credit 'Woven in Silk by T. Stevens (Coventry) Ltd'.

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