Freedom for Love

Hilda Kohse was a British-born woman who sacrificed her own freedom to be with her husband Frederick, when he was interned in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Frederick, a Prussian, had a shipping business in Victoria and was arrested in the middle of the night. Their money, boats, and land were seized, leaving her with nothing. With her 12-month old son Fred, Hilda rowed up the Gorge Waterway in Victoria, which is depicted in this painting. Reaching the camp, she demanded to be with her husband and was interned with her son in 1915. The Kohses were transferred to Nanaimo and then to Vernon, where she was detained for six years. In Vernon, she stuffed tennis balls with letters and hit them outside the camp. One letter eventually made its way to the Parliament of England, and the case was raised in the House of Lords in London. Her actions resulted in not only the first movement towards family internment where women and children could volunteer to be interned, but her clandestine efforts contributed to the closing of the camp in 1920.

Limited Edition Run of 300 Small 12” x 18” $160 (+tax) Medium 16” x 24” $225 (+tax) Large 20” x 30” $290 (+tax) Extra Large 24” x 36” $350 (+tax). We can accommodate custom print sizes at your request. Prints can be laminated, please ask for details. All prints come with a Certificate of Authenticity, which includes the print number, date, artist’s signature and above text.