Cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park

I used two images for reference here.  I found a picture of codebreakers busy at work, and the layout of their desk reminded me of an Evelyn Dunbar picture, which has a much more interesting composition.  So I tipped up the perspective and painted it this way as a tribute.

There seem to be very few photos of Bletchley Park around -- for obvious reasons -- and the ones that exist look quite staid and unexciting.  I suppose if an official government photographer was there, everyone would be on their best behaviour.  The written stories and sketches are far more vivid and full of life and humour.  I think photographs aren't going to be much use to me for this section.  I'm also aware that I should make some more dynamic 'action' pictures, which might be tricky for BP because it was mostly people sitting around doing office work, or standing monitoring big machines... and I'm aware that if I only illustrate the more colourful incidents, that would give quite the wrong idea about the place.  I need to try to strike a balance between interesting and correct.

Cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park

Evelyn Dunbar, 'An Army Tailor and an ATS Tailoress' (1943)