This film is part of Free

John Bull's Animated Sketchbook No. 4
An animated recreation of the sinking of the Lusitania is the centrepiece of this pioneering mix of comedy, satire and outrage in cartoon propaganda.
Overview
An early edition from a series which marked the true beginning of British animation. The pioneering mix in this issue includes political cartoons, an animated reconstruction of the sinking of the Lusitania and comic scenes of a cartoon Chaplin. Postcard illustrator Dudley Buxton pushed rapidly beyond the filmed 'lightning sketch' to explore the potential of a new art form with wit and innovation.
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