St Paul's by Olga Lehmann, ink on paper

This ink drawing is one of several by Olga Lehmann in the collection that document scenes of shelter and air raid damage during the London Blitz (1940–1941).

In this sketch, she depicted the West Towers of St Paul’s Cathedral surrounded by the ruins of bombed buildings. On the night of 29 December 1940, the environs of St Paul’s were devastated by German raids and around 200 firemen and civilians died. Although bombs rained down on the cathedral, remarkably it was saved by the help of volunteer fire watchers who doused the flames with water pumps and sandbags. Purchased in 2020 from the Boundary Gallery. Copyright: the artist's estate / RAF Museum.