Anna Neagle
1 of 43 portraits of Anna Neagle
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Anna Neagle
by McClelland Barclay
oil on canvas, 1940
64 7/8 in. x 49 7/8 in. (1649 mm x 1268 mm)
Purchased, 1989
Primary Collection
NPG 6054
On display in Room 19 on Floor 2 at the National Portrait Gallery
Sitterback to top
- Dame Anna Neagle (Florence Marjorie Wilcox (née Robertson)) (1904-1986), Actor and film producer. Sitter in 43 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Painted in Hollywood during the filming of No, No, Nanette (1940), this has the sassy glamour that made Neagle the troops' favourite pin-up.
Related worksback to top
- NPG D37702: Anna Neagle; Richard Carlson in 'No, No, Nanette' (appears within the portrait)
Linked publicationsback to top
- I-Spy National Portrait Gallery, 2010, p. 48
- Smartify image discovery app
- Cooper, John, A Guide to the National Portrait Gallery, 2009, p. 53 Read entry
Neagle made her first appearance in 1917 and her last on stage at the London Palladium in 1985. The core of her varied and popular career was a life-and-work partnership with the producer Herbert Wilcox, while her most famous co-star was Michael Wilding.
- Ribeiro, Aileen, The Gallery of Fashion, 2000, p. 225
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 454
Events of 1940back to top
Current affairs
Following the German invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium and France, Neville Chamberlain resigns and Churchill is appointed Prime Minister making the famous speech: 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.'The Battle of Britain ends the Phoney War with Germany's attack on the nation from the air. Britain's cities, airbases and ports are bombed during the Blitz.
Art and science
With little access to sculpture materials, and a bombed out studio Henry Moore starts experimenting with drawings of war subjects. After taking shelter in a London Underground station during an air raid Moore was inspired to begin a series of Shelter Drawings. With a commission from the War Artists Advisory Committee, headed by Kenneth Clark, these became some of the most popular example of official war art.International
Britain's attempt to defend France against German invasion by landing troops on the French coast ends in failure; France surrenders and Britain is left to face the Axis Powers alone. While the Dunkirk Landings were a failure, the heroic rescue of troops by a fleet of English civilian boats was a victory for morale, and the 'Dunkirk Spirit' came to stand as an emblem of British triumph in adversity.Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.