Studio portrait of sculptor Gladys Blaiberg (1882-1969) holds a model of a female figure, a small ...

Studio portrait of sculptor Gladys Blaiberg (1882-1969) holds a model of a female figure, a small basket tray slung around her neck, and another figure attached to the tray. Miss Blaiberg came into contact with Australian soldiers at the Australian forces' canteen in London through voluntary war work during the First World War. Her empathy with the soldiers made them a favourite subject for her work. Using steel armatures, cotton wool padding, paper and wood, she created vivid, humorous three dimensional depictions of their experiences on the home front and behind the lines. She recreated the detail of uniforms accurately and finished the faces with pen, ink and watercolour. Miss Blaiberg exhibited her models in her London studio. In addition she was famous in Britain for her theatrical models, which are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. During the Second World War she worked as a volunteer making camouflage.