WILLIAM NEAVE PARKER (1909-1961)
The original artwork above hangs in our bedroom, bought many years ago on eBay. I wish I’d bought more of his work then.
William Neave Parker – to give him his baptismal name, has a Wikipedia page in German but not English and that states he died in Pennsylvania, not true, as we shall see! Almost every source states he was born in 1910. But I’ve found his baptismal record (baptised on 27 June 1909 – meaning he was born on that day or earlier in 1909!) and his birth entry in the same year was in quarter 3 (July-September) so I suspect that his baptism took place very near that date.
The 1911 census – at 49 Morton Terrace, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, states he was 1 year old so I expect this is where the deduction was made he was born in 1910. His father Sam Wardle Parker was born in 1861 (and was a surveyor) and his mother Helen Taylor was born in 1872. He had one older sibling, by 18 years, Gertrude Kathleen Alice – by his father’s previous marriage to Annie Baldwin in 1886. The 1921 Census – filled in by his father in 49 Morton Terrace Gainsborough, states he was 12 years and no months – which equates to 1909. The census took place on the 19 June 1921 therefore I think we can safely say that Neave was born in June 1909. We learn from other sources he attended Heatherley’s School of Art in London by the time he was 20.
DINOSAURS
He is best remembered now as the artist who drew dinosaurs, thirty years before Jurassic Park appeared in cinemas. His artwork was very influential and was reprinted all over the world when representing dinosaurs and I remember them from my youth in the Sixties.
The Mary Evans Picture Library have lots of his B&W dinosaur artwork, many are illustrated on The Natural History Museum‘s site which explains a bit about his relationship with William Elgin Swinton, the palaeontologist. It was zoologist Maurice Burton (1898–1992), a research fellow and honorary science editor of the Illustrated London News that introduced them. Initially it was his camera work that attracted attention.
ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS
The first reference I can find to his Illustrated London News (ILN) work is Parker’s photos of people at work at the NHM (Illustrated London News on 10 December 1949) and the following year photos of various animals accompanied articles and many more followed in Burton’s articles for many years.
But it was the 19 August 1950 issue that had his first credited drawing appeared (of “The Missing Link”) and in the 11 August 1951 he drew his first ILN two page spread, which was a regular feature – this time of “The Diet of the Bat” including vampire bats! The ‘Bat’ pages were written by Dr. M. Burton and the two of them carried on these spreads for the ILN for some time, Parker was described often as “Our Special Artist” and “Our Natural History Artist”. In the 13 October 1956 issue he appears to have gained some post-nominals “Neave Parker F. R. S. A.” – a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In the 12 January 1957 a new series starts:
Although Parker continued sending photographs to the ILN – even up till 1960 – he was not only brilliant and prolific at shooting photographs, but The Times for 5 August 1958 informs us of his love of competition pistol shooting where he actually won prizes and broke records. And the ILN featured his winning too:
On 16 August 1958 they also showed a photo of the competitors with this caption:
AT BISLEY FOR THE MAYLEIGH .22 PISTOL EVENT: THE GREAT BRITAIN INTERNATIONAL TEAM. SEATED, EXTREME RIGHT, IS MR. NEAVE PARKER, WHO WON THE N.S.R.A. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A RECORD SCORE.
The above photograph was taken at Bisley on August 4, when the Great Britain International Team was competing in the international .22 pistol Mayleigh event. Mr. Neave Parker, whose work as an artist is well known to our readers, also won the N.S.R.A. Open Championship, with a record score, at the eleventh annual .22 pistol meeting of the National Small-bore Rifle Association, held at Bisley on August 2, 3 and 4. Mr. Parker’s score was 921 ex 1000, and this was in spite of one shot being disallowed.
If that wasn’t enough on 15 August 1959 he is shown thus:
Unfortunately he died of a heart attack on 16 May 1961, only aged 51. Issues of the ILN after the 29 July 1961 state “The late Neave Parker” and he was still remembered by the ILN as late as 1964.
With the headline on page 7 of 26 May 1961 in his home town local paper the Gainsborough News, “Gainsborough artist dies in London”. The article continues:
“Man who worked very hard for success, Mr. William Neave Parker, has died in London at the age of 51.
Mr. Parker was the son of the late Samuel Wardell Parker, who for 28 years was a well-known Gainsborough surveyor, and was educated at schools in the town. After education at Worksop College, Mr. Neave Parker entered his father’s business but when 20 years old he became a student at Heatherley’s, the famous London art school. Here, his skill as a draughtsman attained at Gainsborough speedily became apparent and specimens of his work were hung at Heatherley’s to encourage other students. An all-round craftsman, swift in statement, very confident in touch, he excelled at figure work.
Circumstances decided he should become an outstanding nature artist, his first commission being to illustrate a series of nature books. The author later acknowledged that the work of Neave Parker contributed greatly to the large sales of the series. Other nature illustrations were demanded and in due course he became the special nature artist to the Illustrated London News. He illustrated many books on nature but at the same time he made some very fine landscape paintings for exhibition.
CAMERA SKILL
As a relaxation he devoted himself to the camera and revolver shooting, attaining distinction as a camera artist and as a crack revolver shot. During the war his skill with the camera led to his enlistment in the photographic section of the Royal Air Force and while serving on the continent he made many landscape studies in water-colour and oils. In spite of the heavy demands upon his time as an illustrator, Neave Parker made time for other activities and he was intensely interested in animal welfare. For some years he was Chairman of the Council for Canine Defence and he was also a Fellow of several learned societies, including the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Zoological Society. In his spare time—as he described it—he wrote and illustrated ‘The Tall Green House,’ a sumptuously illustrated nature book which won royal approval. He worked hard for his success but for some months he had not enjoyed good health and although he seemed to be recovering he died following an attack of cerebral haemorrhage.
His life was short: it was also very full and very useful.”
As far as I can see he never married, however his probate record shows him leaving £6,043 to “Hilda Blanche Taylor, spinster” – who I see died in 1966 and whose address was the same as Neave’s. She left £22,633 to “National Provincial Bank Limited” – was this a charge on a property? I can’t track her down with any authority – there is a Hilda Blanche born in 1883 in Neave’s home town of Gainsborough, but is this the same person? Was she an Aunt? Without precise information I’d be guessing
AFTER HIS DEATH
In 1993, the Ulster Museum in Belfast presented the exhibition “The Prehistoric World of Neave Parker” . His works are in the Ulster Museum and the Natural History Museum
If you like his artwork take a look at the eBay seller Batbatty247. In 2021 several lots were sold by Toovey’s
Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
The following are taken from their site and show Reynard The Fox
Here are some others from Tooveys from the same sale
William Neave Parker – ‘Aoteroa’ (Maori hunting a Moa) plus 2 inca or Aztec scenes?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Lovable Beasts, Harper Cory, London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1936
- Prickly-Pine, , Harper Cory, London: University of London Press, 1937
- [This Cruelty called Sport! By Air Commodore L. E. O. Charlton … Illustrated by Harry Rountree, Treyer Evans and Neave Parker.], League Against Cruel Sports (Great Britain), 1939
- Who killed Cock Robin, London: W.L. Vaughan (City) Ltd.), 1940?
- Molly, the New Forest Pony, Lady Kitty Edith Blanche Ritson, London: T. Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Chips the Alsatian, Lady Kitty Edith Blanche Ritson, London: T. Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Rufa the Wood Ant, Ray Palmer, London: T. Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Bombus, the Bumble-Bee, Ray Palmer, London: T. Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Domini the Golden, C. W.Henry, London: T. Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Wild Animals at Home, Harper Cory, London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Vulpes: an English fox, Harper Cory, London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Uncle Peter. A true story, Harper Cory, London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1940
- Larry Blackcap, Dorothy Edith Corkill, London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1940
- The Mammals of the British Isles, Harper Cory, London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1941
- The Tall Green House, written and illustrated by Neave Parker, London: P. R. Gawthorn, 1948
- Ulla-Britt and the Birds, Laurens Sargent, London: University of London Press, 1950
- Uncle Remus, Adapted by Robert Harding, London: Gawthorn Press, 1953
- Uncle Peter, Harper Cory, , London: Thomas Nelson, 1954
- The Day of the Dingo, John Kiddell, London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1955
- Reckless Robert. (Look right-look left.), George Henry Eyles, Watford: Bruce & Gawthorn, 1959
- A Game Ranger’s Notebook, Paul Smiles, London and Glasgow: Blackie, 1961
- Fishes, Norman Bertram Marshall, Watford: Bruce & Gawthorn, 1961
- Reptiles: The wonderful world of nature, Alfred Leustsher Watford: Bruce & Gawthorn, 1961
- Mammals, Maurice Burton, Watford: Bruce & Gawthorn, 1961
- Birds, Maurice Burton, Watford: Bruce & Gawthorn, 1961
- The prehistoric times : the newspaper for discerning dinosaurs, Stella Gurney, London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2017
Visual Rants 