"Reach for the Sky"

Previous title, replaced January 2025: A red road, a yellow road and a black road crossing over or under each other, with purple lines indicating the routes of fighter aircraft above. Watercolour by Francesca, 1974.

Painting of three interconnecting roads in red, yellow and black amongst a blue sky and clouds in the background. Speech bubbles and painting of planes surround from different sources. 'Reach for the Sky' was a book and subsequently a film about the World War II fighter pilot Douglas Bader. "Come and get me, Copper" is a quotation from the gangster film White heat starring James Cagney (1949). The Red Baron was Manfred von Richthofen, a fighter pilot in World War I. "Nixon" appears to refer to President Richard M. Nixon of the United States, who was much criticised in 1972-1974 for complicity in the Watergate burglaries, and who resigned on 9 August 1974. Date of creation inscribed on the reverse, probably by Edward Adamson.

26 January 1974

1 painting watercolour and gouache on paper

Prior to Wellcome Collection, this work was stored in a folder on 1st floor, Reay House, Lambeth Hospital.

The title has been taken from wording on the object.

This work is attributed to the creator; it was stored with other identified works.