Defiance Collection

Winston Churchill making his famous V for Victory sign, 1942. A typical gesture of defiance from Britains wartime Prime Minister. (Colorised black and white print)

The Cossacks Reply to the Sultan (Zaporozhtsy), c1890, (1939). Creator: Il ya Repin
The Cossacks Reply to the Sultan (Zaporozhtsy), c1890, (1939). Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of Turkey, also known as Cossacks of Saporog Are Drafting a Manifesto

The Last Man, Hans Bohrdt - Propaganda - German navy officer
In 1915 Hans Bohrdt created his most famous illustration which is called " The Last Man". The image shows a German navy officer holding up a German flag as his ship sinks because he would

Medieval knight on horseback
Knight on horseback shaking his fist defiantly, England. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century John Gilbert painting

First English Civil War: Siege of Lathom House, 1644
Royalist stronghold Lathom House in Lancashire defies Parlimentarian pressure and raises the royal standard. The ensuing siege lasted three months, but was eventually lifted

Trades union membership certificate
A trades union membership certificate for the United Operative Plumbers Association of Great Britain and Ireland, with Defence and Defiance as their motto

Londoners sheltering from a German air raid on a platform in Piccadilly Underground Station during the Blitz
6015286 Londoners sheltering from a German air raid on a platform in Piccadilly Underground Station during the Blitz, World War II, September 1940 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Reprisal! by H M Bateman - humorous illustration of what can happen if a woman decides to wear trousers. In this scene the reprisal for the wife wearing trousers is that her husband has taken to

WWI - The Lion Roused - British Propaganda postcard full of strength, defiance and patriotism. The confidence evident in 1914... Date: 1914

Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, 1782 (c1783). General Sir George Eliott is on horseback pointing to the battle between the British and the Spanish land and sea forces

Agnes, Countess of Dunbar (1312?-1369), known as Black Agnes, 1338 (early 20th century). She is seen on the battlements at the defence of Dunbar Castle in 1337-1338 when her husband

Detail of the Zaporozhets writing a letter to the Turkish Sultan, 1880-1890, (1965). Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of Turkey

Caricature of the English dramatist James Albery -- Defiance. circa 1870s

Reckless defiance. Illustration shows a diminutive soldier labeled France standing next to a large Russian bear gesturing with a sword toward John Bull standing opposite while a battle rages in

Per and Lotso Vannar's sons, Sjokksjokk's Sami village, Jokkmokk's son, 1868. Creator: Lotten von Duben
Per and Lotso Vannar's sons, Sjokksjokk's Sami village, Jokkmokk's son, 1868. From Lotten von Duben's photo album with motifs from the ethnological expedition to Lapland led by her

Portrait of Elsa Nilsdotter Länta, 35 years old, Sirka's Sami village, 1868. Creator: Lotten von Duben
Portrait of Elsa Nilsdotter Lanta, 35 years old, Sirka's Sami village, 1868. From Lotten von Duben's photo album with motifs from the ethnological expedition to Lapland led by her husband

Portrait of Inga Amundsdotter, 76, Sjokksjokk, 1868. Creator: Lotten von Duben
Portrait of Inga Amundsdotter, 76, Sjokksjokk, 1868. From Lotten von Duben's photo album with motifs from the ethnological expedition to Lapland led by her husband Gustaf von Duben in 1868

Yo Shona, c1903. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Yo Shona, c1903. Yo Shona, head-and-shoulders portrait, with shield, facing front

Manchurian and Korean, 1865-1871. Creator: VV Lanin
Manchurian and Korean, 1865-1871. This album contains 154 photographs taken in the second half of the 1860s and 1870s by a local photographer from the Far East, V. V. Lanin. The merchant V. P

Tasunka, (alias Plenty Horse[s]) The slayer of Lieut Casey, near Pine Ridge, SD, 1891. Creator: John C. H. Grabill
Tasunka, (alias Plenty Horse[s]) The slayer of Lieut Casey, near Pine Ridge, SD, 1891

Little, the instigator of Indian Revolt at Pine Ridge, 1890, 1891. Creator: John C. H. Grabill
Little, the instigator of Indian Revolt at Pine Ridge, 1890, 1891. Little, Oglala leader, full-length studio portrait seated between two standing Euro-American men; Chris Mathison ()

Fashions taken during London Fashion Week 1964 Three women wearing striped dresses with headscarf style hats standing with their hands on their hips looking defiant

RF- Common frog (Rana temporaria) portrait with red background. UK

Boyarynya Morozova, 1887. Artist: Vasily Surikov
Boyarynya Morozova, 1887. Feodosia Morozova (1632-1675) was one of the leading figures of the Old Believer movement that split from the Russian Orthodox Church after 1666-1667 in protest at religious

Jonathan Thatcher riding cow to Stockport Market
Jonathan Thatcher rode his cow to Stockport Market on 27 November 1784 in defiance of Pitts Horse Tax. 1784

The Devil Speaks (Mahna No Varua Ino), from Fragrance (Noa Noa), 1893-94. 1893-94
The Devil Speaks (Mahna No Varua Ino), from Fragrance (Noa Noa), 1893-94. Tahitian ritual upa upa dance held in secret, in defiance of colonial authority

The Boyar Morozova, 1887, (1965). Creator: Vasily Surikov
The Boyar Morozova, 1887, (1965). Detail showing distraught worshippers, from a painting depicting Feodosia Morozovas arrest by the Nikonians in 1671

RF - Leopard (Panthera pardus) mother with cubs, Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

Saving the Colours: the Guards at the Battle of Inkerman, 1854 (1909). Artist: Robert Gibb
Saving the Colours: the Guards at the Battle of Inkerman, 1854 (1909). From Harmsworth History of the World, Volume 7, by Arthur Mee, J.A. Hammerton, & A.D. Innes, M.A. [Carmelite House, London, 1909]

People made homeless by German bombing, Liverpool, World War II, 1941. Carrying whatever belongings they have been able to salvage

Mosquito Hawk-Assiniboin, c1908. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Mosquito Hawk-Assiniboin, c1908. Assiniboine man, Mosquito Hawk, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left

Burrell Tractor number 3458, Defiance, reg. AB 8795, at Wycombe on 26 May 1974. Date: 1974

Teachers distributing milk to children, Woolwich, London
Teachers distributing milk to children at a school in Woolwich, south east London, around the time free school milk was discontinued. The school was distributing milk in defiance of the change

Children drinking milk in a playground, Woolwich, London
Children at a school in Woolwich, south east London, drinking milk in a playground around the time free school milk was discontinued. The school was distributing milk in defiance of the change

Squatters protest, Battersea, South London
Squatters protest, 78 Abercrombie Street, Battersea, South London, 8 December 1977. Squatters were resisting eviction by the Labour-run Wandsworth Council. Date: 1977

The Defence of Rambervillers in 1870, painting by Jules Benoit-Levy depicting a scene from the Franco-Prussian War
6000508 The Defence of Rambervillers in 1870, painting by Jules Benoit-Levy depicting a scene from the Franco-Prussian War (engraving) by Benoit-Levy

French army officer in a blockhouse, armed with a machine gun, single-handedly holding off two batallions of Germans
6000418 French army officer in a blockhouse, armed with a machine gun, single-handedly holding off two batallions of Germans during the defence of the Bois des Caures, Battle of Verdun, World War I

Alsatians pulling down the flags of the occupying Germans in their town, put up to celebrate recent victories
6000341 Alsatians pulling down the flags of the occupying Germans in their town, put up to celebrate recent victories on the Russian Front, World War I, 1915 (litho) by Damblans

Scorn of a Benedictine nun in the face of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany during his visit to the Abbey of Namur in
6000445 Scorn of a Benedictine nun in the face of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany during his visit to the Abbey of Namur in occupied Belgium, World War I, 1916 (colour litho) by Damblans

The Bard, 1784. Creators: John Hall, Samuel Middiman
The Bard, 1784

They shall not pass!, 1914-18 (colour litho)
778986 They shall not pass!, 1914-18 (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Symbolic illustration of the French spirit at Verdun)

Tobit Burying the Dead in Defiance of the Orders of Sennacherib, (oil on canvas)
990059 Tobit Burying the Dead in Defiance of the Orders of Sennacherib, (oil on canvas) by Castiglione, Giovanni Francesco (1641-1716); 65x80.6 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

DDE-90036231
Work ships in the commercial Aberdeen harbor, Scotland. Date: 21/02/2010

DDE-90036230
Work ships in the commercial Aberdeen harbor, Scotland. Date: 21/02/2010

Melville, Adm. Artic Explorer; Engineer of the JEANETTE in 1880s; photographed c. 1910. Creator: Unknown
Melville, Adm. Artic Explorer; Engineer of the JEANETTE in 1880s; photographed c. 1910

Cheetah Siblings. Creator: Viet Chu
Cheetah Siblings

Indian Nobles, c1891. Creator: James Grant
Indian Nobles, c1891. From " Cassells Illustrated History of India Vol. II.", by James Grant. [Cassell Petter & Galpin, London, Paris and New York]

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In the face of adversity, defiance emerges as a powerful force that transcends time and borders. From Winston Churchill's iconic V for Victory sign during World War II to the resolute Cossacks' reply to the Sultan in 1890, acts have shaped history and inspired generations. One such act is captured in Il ya Repin's masterpiece "The Cossacks Reply to the Sultan. " With unwavering determination, these warriors stand tall against oppression, refusing to bow down. Their defiant spirit echoes through centuries, reminding us of the indomitable human will. Similarly, Hans Bohrdt's propaganda artwork "The Last Man" portrays a German navy officer standing firm amidst chaos. In his eyes burns an unyielding resolve that defies defeat and embraces sacrifice for a cause greater than himself. Defiance takes various forms throughout history - from trade union membership certificates symbolizing workers' solidarity against exploitation to medieval knights on horseback defending their honor with every fiber of their being. Each act represents a refusal to surrender one's principles or freedom without a fight. "The Death of General Gordon" depicts another momentous instance where defiance prevails. In Khartoum, 1885, General Gordon valiantly defends his position until his last breath against overwhelming odds. His heroic resistance showcases how even in defeat, courage can inspire others towards future victories. During the First English Civil War at Lathom House in 1644, besieged defenders exemplify resilience amid despair. Surrounded by enemy forces yet undeterred by their dire circumstances, they embody an unwavering spirit that refuses submission. Artistic depictions like H M Bateman's "Reprisal. " capture moments when individuals rise above injustice with audacity and wit. These acts serve as reminders that even humor can be wielded as a weapon against tyranny and oppression. Propaganda postcards like "The Lion Roused" from World War I reveal the power of collective defiance.