A Poppins of a find!
In her 1934 book MARY POPPINS, Pamela L Travers first described her character Bert, as a Match-Man, who had two professions.
He not only sold matches like any ordinary match-man, but he drew pavement pictures as well. He did these things according to the weather. If it was wet, he sold matches. If it was fine, he was on his knees all day, making pictures in coloured chalks on the pavement.
The fictional BERT THE SCREEVER played by Dick Van Dyke 1964
In the Disney film, Bert becomes a one-man-band busker, a chimney sweep and a pavement artist all rolled into one! Of course, Walt Disney did take liberties when it came to interpreting the written words of Pamela L Travers.
Bert was portrayed by Dick Van Dyke; a jack-of-all-trades with a Cockney accent. He never stays with one trade too long, and adapts to the current conditions he finds himself in.
The big question is, was the fictional character of Bert the pavement artist, based on a real person and will we ever know?
Pamela L Travers was born in Australia, and emigrated to London, England in 1924.
Original Real Photo Postcard 1914 (Published by Samuels Ltd)
In the 1920’s, London was awash with pavement artists; mainly disabled ex-servicemen from the Great War, trying to scrape together a daily living. Bert was a popular name (short for Robert) and there can be no doubt that Pamela Travers came into close contact with the pavement artists on the London Embankment.
Original Real Photo Postcard 1914 (publisher unknown)
In 1914, photographer Fred Judge took a series of night photographs on the Thames Embankment. These where then made into postcards; they featured a NIGHT SCREEVER; pavement artist, at different exposures and angles, who also appears to be photographed at different times on different nights.
DIFFERENT ANGLE: Original Real Photo Postcard 1914 (publisher unknown)
Although only one of these photographs is attributed to Fred Judge, you could assume that most of them were taken by him, although this can’t be certain. Whatever the case, this pavement artist was obviously a popular muse to be photographed.
DIFFERENT NIGHT: Original Real Photo Postcard 1914 (published by Judges Ltd)
So how do these postcards relate to BERT?
Well, by sheer coincidence & GOOD LUCK, I discovered that the artist in the photographs is indeed named BERT; the one above was posted in London on the 11th July 1914.
Original Real Photo Postcard-posted 11th July 1914 (Bert’s message)
The postcard was written in pencil, and addressed to Mr Fred Bruce, 44 Victoria Road, Bedminster, Bristol
Original Real Photo Postcard 1914 (Bert’s message)
The message reads “Dear Fred, I have taken a stand on the embankment, doing art. My photo is on the other side; signed BERT.”
So there we have it, a message through time and space. Bert was indeed a REAL pavement artist, perhaps even the same Bert that Pamela Travers wrote about in Mary Poppins? (who can tell)
I’d love to find out more about Bert, and hopefully tell his story here…..perhaps someday I will discover the real Mary Poppins eh!
Written & Researched by Philip Battle
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