Contextual Information: Rosenberg's Life

Self-portrait

Rosenberg's Life

Born in 1890 of a poor Jewish family, Rosenberg grew up in the East End of London. He left school at 14 and became apprentice to a firm of engravers in Fleet Street. After a brief convalescence in Cape Town in 1914 he enlisted with the Suffolk Regiment in October 1915, later transferring to the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. He served on the Western Front from 1916 onwards but never rose above the rank of Private. He died on 1 April, 1918, whilst on night patrol.

Full Chronology

Year Date Activity
Pre-School
1890 November 25 I.R. born at 5 Adelaide Place, Bristol, the eldest son and second child of Barnett and Anna Rosenberg. Their first, a daughter Minnie, had been born in Lithuania on March 23rd, 1887.
1892 October 25 Sister Annie born in Bristol.
1894 October 9 Sister Rachel born in Bristol.
1897 February 10 Brother David born in Bristol.
School
1897   Family move to 47 Cable Street, Stepney, London E1. R enrols at St. Paul's School, Wellclose Square, St George's-in-the-East.
1899   Brother Elkon born.
1899 November 14 R enrols at Baker Street School, Stepney E.
1900?   Family move to 58 Jubilee Street, Stepney, becoming neighbours of the Amschewitz family; J. H. Amschewitz is 8 years Isaac's senior, and at an early point in their friendship introduces him to Winifreda Seaton.
1902-3   R begins special afternoon classes at the Stepney Green Art School, at the instigation of Mr. Usherwood, headmaster of Baker St. School.
1904   Family move to another flat in Jubilee St.
1904 December 23 R leaves Baker Street School.
Working Life
1905 Early January Joins Carl Hentschel's, Engravers, of Fleet Street, EC4, as apprentice.
1907   Family move to 159 Oxford Street, London E.
1907   R starts evening classes at London School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography, 6 Bolt court, Fleet Street, Attends till 1910.
1907   Attends evening classes at Birkbeck College, Chancery Lane, EC4, where instructed and befriended by Alice Wright. Attends till 1909, during which time he wins the Mason prize in 1908 for nude studies, and in 1909 the Pocock prize for a nude in oils.
1909?   Apprenticed to a Mr. Lascelles, process engraver, of Shoe Lane, EC4.
1911 Early March Leaves Carl Hentshcel's.
1911 July Takes boat trip to St. Helena.
1911 October 3 Applies for entry to Slade School of Art, sponsored by Mrs. Delissa Joseph, Mrs Herbert Cohen and Mrs Henrietta Lowy.
1911 October 13 Fee of £21 for the 1911-12 session at the Slade paid by them, and Isaac joins.
1912 May 24 R's review of the J. H. Amschewitz/Henry Ospovat Exhibition at the Baillie Galleries, Bruton St., is printed in The Jewish Chronicle.
1912 May/June Moves to a studio at 40 Ampthill Square, Hampstead Road.
1912 Spring Writes to and meets Laurence Binyon, Keeper of Prints and Drawings at British Museum.
1912 Spring/Summer Night and Day, a 24-page pamphlet of poems is printed by Israel Narodiczky, who charges £2 for 50 copies.
1912 September Moves to 32 Carlingford Road, Hampstead.
1912 Sept/October R begins to fall out with Mrs. Cohen, who reduces his living allowance. Sees Ernest Lesser of the Jewish Educational Aid Society, requesting funds for continuing studies at The Slade. Returns home to 159 Oxford Street.
1912 October Painting 'Joy' wins First Class Certificate at Slade. New English Art Club exhibits and sells his 'Sanguine Drawing'. Another painting exhibited but unsold.
1912 Winter Rosenberg family move to 87 Dempsey Street, Stepney E.
1912 December Approval from J.E.A.S. to fund R till end March 1914.
1913 Early Rents room at 1 St. George's Square, Chalk Farm, N. London. Submits group of paintings for Prix de Rome competition. Fails to win it, but pictures exhibited at Imperial Institute Galleries, South Kensington.
1913 March Leaves Slade. Seeks treatment (paid for by J.E.A.S.) for eye trouble.
1913 Spring Health deteriorating. Moves back to Dempsey Street for care.
1913 Summer Spends holiday at Sandown, Isle of Wight, with David Bomberg. Returns to St. George's Square.
1913 Nov 10 Introduces by Gertler to Edward Marsh and T.E. Hulme at CafŽ Royal.
1914 Jan/Feb Coughing and lungs worsen. Takes holiday (paid for by J.E.A.S.) in Bournemouth, Feb 20 to March 1.
1914 March Returns to Dempsey Street, relinquishing St. George's Square studio. Requests funds ('£12 or £15') of J.E.A.S. for passage to South Africa for health reasons. Granted.
1914 May Exhibits at Whitechapel Art Gallery's Exhibition of Twentieth Century Artists.
1914 Early June Sails by Union Castle line from Tilbury for South Africa.
1914 End June Reaches Cape Town, stays with sister Minnie at Hill House, 43 De Villiers St.
1914 July Commissioned by Sir Herbert Stanley to paint two babies, Fee £15. Lectures at studio of Madge Cook, daughter of Mrs. Agnes Cook, editor of South African Women in Council, who later publishes the lecture in two parts, with his poems 'Beauty' and 'Our Dead Heroes'.
1914 August 4 England declares war against Germany. Returns to Cape Town.
1915 February Set sail for England. Reputedly loses most of his paintings overboard in Cape Town harbour.
1915 March Returns to 87 Dempsey Street.
1915 April 'Youth' printed at Narodiczky's, from type set (?) by Reuben Cohen. 100 copies for £2.10s. Paid for by selling 3 pictures to Edward Marsh.
1915 May Meets Sydney Schiff at CafŽ Royal.
1915 June Colour magazine, edited by T.M. Wood, prints 'Heart's First Word'.
1915 July 1 First and only edition of The Jewish Standard, a collaboration between Reuben Cohen and R, is issued.
1915 July Colour Magazine prints 'A Girl's Thoughts'.
1915 August Colour prints 'Wedded' (I). R apparently applies to Hentschel's, requesting work. Unsuccessful.
1915 Sept/Oct Starts evening classes in block-making, in the hope of getting a job. No luck.
War Service
1915 End Oct Enlists. Sent direct to Recruiting Depot at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, to join Bantam Battalion of 12th Suffolk Regiment, 40th Division.
1915 Late Nov Lascelles Abercrombie, shown R's poetry by Marsh, writes to him.
1915 Christmas 4 days leave at home.
1916 Jan 16 Transferred to 12th South Lancashire, at Blackdown Camp, Farnborough, Nr. Aldershot, Hants.
1916 March Again transferred, this time to 11th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancasters Regiment, remaining at Blackdown Camp.
1916 May 19 6 days' pre-embarkation leave, during which Reuben Cohen, of Narodiczky's (using name 'Paragon Printing Works'), prints Moses.
1916 May 25 R back in barracks.
1916 ?June 2 Leaves for France (probably from Folkestone).
1916 ?June 3 Arrives?. Le Havre en route for Somme trenches.
1916 June 23 R. C. Trevelyan writes.
1916 July 4 Gordon Bottomley writes.
1916 July Arrives at front but remains behind the lines at 40th Division Salvage Office.
1916 End August Sent into trenches.
1916 September Sends 'Break of Day in the Trenches' to Harriet Monroe of Poetry (Chicago).
1916 Nov 25th 27th birthday.
1916 December Harriet Monroe prints 'Marching' (sent by Rodker in Jan 1916) and 'Break of Day in the trenches' in Poetry (Chicago).
1917 January R reports sick and is relieved of trench duty.
1917 February Re-assigned to 40th Division Works Battalion, behind the lines.
1917 Late Feb Re-assigned to 229 Field Co., Royal Engineers, attached to 11th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancasters.
1917 Sept 16 10 days leave spent at home.
1917 Sept 26 Back in France.
1917 Late Sept Georgian Poetry 1916-17 published, containing R's 'Ah Kolue' speech from Moses
1917 October 10 R reports sick with influenza. Is sent to 51st General Hospital.
1917 Mid December Leaves hospital and returns to trenches.
1918 Late Jan Rest behind the lines.
1918 February 7 Transferred to 1st Battalion K.O.R.L., 40th Div.
1918 March 21 Recalled to trenches.
1918 April 1 Private I. Rosenberg, 22311 1st K.O.R.L., is killed at dawn while on night patrol.

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