Handkerchief, 'The Absent-Minded Beggar', 1901 (c)

This cotton handkerchief is decorated with Rudyard Kipling's famous poem 'The Absent minded beggar' which appeared in an 1899 'The Daily Mail' supplement. It was written to help raise money for the dependents of soldiers fighting in the Boer War (1899-1902). The handkerchief also includes music by Sir Arthur Sullivan, written to accompany the poem. The fund, known as the 'Absent Minded Beggar Relief Corps', eventually raised about £250,000.