"Old stick in the mud". Hand-coloured print of a photograph taken by an unknown Australian ...

"Old stick in the mud". Hand-coloured print of a photograph taken by an unknown Australian soldier, showing a Mark 1 Female tank stuck wedged in a trench. The tank, bearing the inscription "A13 / We're all in it", is being inspected by an Australian soldier. The tank's machine guns have been removed. Fixed onto the roof of the tank, and visible above the right hand sponson in the photograph, is a framework which carried a wire mesh anti-grenade screen. This screen prevented the enemy's grenades or satchel charges from landing on the roof the the tank or entering the tank's upper hatches. The tank is painted in a three colour camouflage scheme - green and sand are the predominate colours, with an overlay of thin red-brown paint on the sand elements.

This hand-coloured print was produced by Colarts Studio, Windsor, also known as the Colograph-Art Company. Colarts was the contractor to the Australian War Memorial for producing photographic prints for sale to the public. The studio produced enlargements, intended for framing, and toned and hand-coloured prints. Joynt also collected soldier photographs, from which he produced, exhibited, and sold similar coloured enlargements. Colarts was owned by Capt. William D. Joynt, V.C. Colarts Studio operated at 98 Albert St, Windsor, Melbourne, then 447-9 Law Courts Place, Melbourne. The entry for this print in Colarts' catalogue of soldier photographs carried the following caption: "One of the greatest difficulties with which the troops had to contend was the mud. Even the tanks got stuck". Joynt's collection of soldier photographs was later acquired by the Memorial.