Sophia Loren

In the 1962 hut - which had only one floor built - there was a painting of Sophia Loren in one of the bedrooms. I resurrected the painting and took it to the Halley II met office. To this date I have not been able to ascertain who painted it and when. [29 August 2012]

Photo by Keith Gainey

This was published in the Z-Fids Newsletter No. 30 and elicited the following responses:

Bob Lee said:

I have been looking through my diary and I am positive that the artist was Dudley Jehan, well almost positive. He was also an MJQ aficionado and could whistle along with every track of the LP. "Odds Against Tomorrow" - the sound track of the Movie. MJQ was the Modern Jazz Quartet. [20 October 2012]

John Skilling said:

Regarding the query about the painting of Sophia Loren in the 1962 hut I'd suggest that it would almost certainly have been the work of Tony Thorne-Middleton one of the cooks and an extremely talented artist; see the Lion Rampant in one of the bedrooms. [20 October 2012]

Bob Wells said:

About Sophia. No I don't know who painted her - perhaps Abdul Smith? - but she was at the door to welcome you to smoko in 1970. [20 October 2012]

Mystery solved at last -
Peter Blakeley said:

Pleased to know she was saved. Painted by Peter Blakeley in 1962. [27 October 2012]