ELIZABETH KEITH (British, 1887-1956)
Flying Kites

ELIZABETH KEITH (British, 1887-1956)

Flying Kites

Circa 1930

Print on washi paper, mounted in a glazed frame

Signed lower right

54cm high, 40cm wide

-

Provenance: From the collection of British journalist and presumed diplomat, John Newall.

-

Note: This work by Elizabeth Keith forms the basis of the 1936 Korean 'Christmas seal', commissioned by Dr. Sherwood Hall.

Dr. Sherwood Hall was the first Western person born in Korea, his father being a Canadian medical evangelist during the early 1890s. In 1892, Hall married Rosetta Sherwood, an American missionary, and their wedding was the first Western-style wedding ceremony held in Korea, which generated a great deal of public curiosity. In order to raise money and educate Koreans about tuberculosis, Dr. Hall introduced the first Korean 'Christmas seals' in 1932. The first seals featured Namdaemun (South Gate). He donated the entire series of seals (1932-1940) to the Smithsonian Museum in Richmond, Ontario. In 1940, the Japanese colonial government subjected the Halls to a court trial, in which they were accused and convicted of supposed 'espionage activities', and were sentenced to a three year jail term. They were forced to stop all their activities and were promptly deported out of Korea.