Paul's train ticket Painting

The story of this painting begins in 1893. Well, it actually starts on a flea market in Mainz, Germany, where my mother-in-law, my husband and I spent some time digging around the collection of old postcards, telegrams, stamps and other stuff that a trader was selling. I found two items that triggered my imagination: a postcard with a photo of Queen Victoria’s railway car, and a travel pass, issued by the Große Berliner Pferde-Eisenbahn Actiengesellschaft (which roughly translates as the “Great Berlin Horse-Train Company”). Yes, there was a time when city trams on rails were pulled by horses! I had no idea. Could I put these two things together? How would a German travel pass end up in Queen Victoria’s fancy railway car? I imagined the story of Paul Bartz (the name on the travel pass) that would take him to Victorian-era London, and into the royal car. You can read the full story on my website!