Look & Learn No 868 (2 September 1978) - Into The Unknown: Journey To The Forbidden City

Grail alert!

Another Oli Frey DPS from Look & Learn's series 'Into The Unknown' joins my collection.

Intrepid Victorian explorer and polyglot Sir Richard Burton, comes under attack by bandits in the Pass of Death on his journey, heavily disguised as a an Afghan Dervish, to be the first white christian to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in 1853.

"We had another fight before we got to Mecca, and a splendid camel in front of me was shot through the heart. Our Sherif Zayd was an Arab Chieftain of the purest blood, and very brave. He took two or three hundred men, and charged our attackers. However, they shot many of our dromedaries and camels, and boxes and baggage strewed the place; and whence we were gone the Bedawi would come back, loot the baggage; and eat the camels." A Personal Narrative of a Pilgimage to el Medinah and Meccah by Richard Francis Burton (1857)

I'm told that very few of these DPSs survived in an un-mutilated state. Very few were returned to the artist, and most were cut in half to remove the left-hand (verso) side that was left blank in the artists' composition in order to accommodate the magazine text.

But just look at that night sky as the Bedwai attack! Frey is a master of color, drama and dynamism...such exciting images for the young reader.

Gouache on 'Trueline' Daler board x2
Boards 21.5" x 31"
Image 19" x 26"