ContributorCommunity HistoryDescriptionSecond Boer War handkerchief - Absent Minded Beggar The handkerchief fabric is an off white cotton with a blue print and a margin around the edge. In the centre the map of the South African Republic (The Transvaal) is surrounded by the theatre of War. There are portraits of Lord Roberts (Commander of the British Troops), and Queen Victoria (The Monarch). "Absent Minded Beggar" is a poem by Rudyard Kipling, and the musical score is by Arthur Sullivan.TypeTextileCollectionNewland family collectionCreator individualUnknownDate created1899Height (mm)467Width (mm)431MaterialsCottonHistorical details
This very scarce item of ephemera is often referred to as a "Handkerchief" when it is actually a scarf that was designed to be worn to show support and raise funds for the families of the soldiers in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902. Also known as the Anglo-Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and the Orange Free State) in South Africa.
The Absent-Minded Beggar handkerchief. City of Stirling Art and History Collection, accessed 08/11/2025, https://collections.stirling.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/10907
