Thomas Henry Kavanagh VC, Assistant Commissioner in Oudh, Indian Civil Service, 1857
Oil on canvas, by Louis William Desanges, 1860 (c).
Thomas Henry Kavanagh (1821-1882) was the Assistant Commissioner in Oudh when the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859) started. He became something of a national hero when he won the Victoria Cross (VC) on 9 November 1857 when he disguised himself and escaped from the besieged Residency at Lucknow in order to guide in the relieving force.
This painting is one of a series of 55 depicting Victoria Cross subjects executed between 1859 and 1862 by the British artist Louis Desanges, and displayed at the Crystal Palace during the 1860s and 1870s.
NAM Accession Number
NAM. 1958-12-42-1
Copyright/Ownership
National Army Museum, Out of Copyright
Location
National Army Museum, Study Collection
Object URL
https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1958-12-42-1
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