Sapper Horace Moore-Jones led a remarkable life. He was a Gallipoli First World War artist, map maker and local hero who died while saving the lives of others in the tragic 1922 Hamilton Hotel fire. After the war he exhibited his work in the UK and in particular at Buckingham Palace. Upon return, his tours of New Zealand, to raise money for returning soldiers, brought out thousands of people who wanted to hear and see the stories that Moore-Jones told. He was famous as the artist for the much-loved ANZAC watercolour. The Man With The Donkey and became Hamilton High School’s founding art master.

After much campaigning by dedicated supporters, to celebrate Sapper Moore-Jones, in 2015 a superb statue, The Line of Fire, was installed in Victoria St. Hamilton. It overlooks the scene of his own heroic death.

For The Five Studies exhibition, Hamilton artist Hong Cumming has produced these two thrilling compositions that capture his own self portrait (with Statue inset) and a poignant moment when the Victoria St. Statue was unveiled. They are formally entitled: Hamilton's Historic Hero and Unveiling of Valor, the Moore-Jones Tribute.

It is anticipated that both paintings will eventually be on permanent display in the new theatre that is being built on the site of the Hamilton Hotel where Moore-Jones died.