T. E. Lawrence — Eric Kennington: Artist
“I first saw him in Lowell Thomas’s film at the Albert Hall: glorious photography, glamour and oratory…” Eric Kennington
When Kennington came out of the Albert Hall on that sunny day in 1920 he felt ‘drunk’ with emotion and was determined to meet this Lawrence of Arabia somehow. Sadly, he found it impossible: even Lowell Thomas refused to divulge Lawrence’s address. Over the days and weeks that followed Kennington’s interest in the man began to wane until one day, visiting his picture dealer, he was told that Lawrence had been into his gallery and bought two of Kennington’s soldiers.
Better still Lawrence had left his address: All Souls, Oxford. Kennington wrote to Lawrence there and then requesting if they meet in Oxford. Lawrence agreed, and as Kennington has written:
“He was on the platform, and had to introduce himself, for I could not connect him with Lowell Thomas’s screen-seraph. I met a small grinning, hatless kid [Lawrence would have been 32, or thereabouts], bothered by a lot of untidy hair falling over his eyes.
“He seemed apologetic, and made me a superior and most distinguished person [Lawrence was good at that]. He…
