Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book [1953]

Amended with slight addition February 2015

This is the Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book, which I call the ‘roller-coaster one’ as it’s so hard to date these. Have a look at the ‘jumping-off’ page for a list of all the others.

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* art by Reginald Heade

The roller-coaster cover appears to me to be a bit worrying in the light of developments concerning Uncle Mac’s behaviour, but being more positive, Glenn Reuben pointed out to me who the artist above is. Surprisingly, considering the material he is most known for, it’s Reginald Heade and I should have spotted his signature bottom right! Steve Holland tells us about his sad life on Bear Alley blog, and the fact that Heade signs this cover with his ‘proper’ name (and not the post-1954 method of ‘Cy Webb’) – and died in 1957 brings the expected date of this volume to pre-1954.

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – Endpapers; art by Reginald Heade

“Uncle Mac” as in Derek McCulloch had moved on from the BBC at the end of September 1950 as Sidgwick & Jackson announced in an advert for McCulloch’s novel “Cornish Mystery” in the Bookseller advert – (Bookseller 23 September 1950, p.699). Various regional papers echoed the fact of his “resigning to write more”.

Dear Bookseller
As you know ‘Uncle Mac’ has left the B.B.C. after twenty-five happy years’ work on Children’s Hour, and is now editing the children’s section of the ”News Chronicle,” a paper which has a circulation of nearly 1,500,000.

Also I notice the words “Uncle Mac” are omitted from the headers on each page of this particluar annual which merely state “Children’s Hour Story Book” – but this could be due to space (I know it was a feeble thought!). But the clincher is complicated.

Following adverts and other bibliographic details in the press for the books using “Uncle Mac” and “Children’s Hour” titles, we can map exactly which years books were expected to be published (bearing in mind even announcements didn’t mean actual publication as sometimes books didn’t happen at all. I was a bookseller and knew that too well!). But let’s assume – especially as I have seen entries for the same number of books I own, or have seen online, that if I can match dates to specific titles then any ‘stray’ book is likely to have to be mapped to a Bookseller magazine entry. Well that’s the case here. I’ve accounted for the rest so this stray only maps one advert.

On the 5 July 1952, Collins paid for a full page advert in the Bookseller advertising, not only for this title but also Collins Magazine Annual [No.5] – see my previous logic on this – and this Uncle Mac title has “5 colour plates” as you’ll see below, listed in the Contents. [February 2025: I’ve had correspondence with Steve Walker – who with Steve Chibnall has written the most authoritative work on Reginald Heade (from Telos Publishing). He mentioned their initial thorough research gave them a date of publication for 1951. Unfortunately he couldn’t remember where this came from. But later he wrote: “Just to add a further thought, I’d be surprised if it was as late as 1953, as Heade didn’t really do any children’s book work for Collins after 1951”. Until I see the accession dates in the British Library I’m placing this here for anyone else who wants to chip in! Thanks Steve W.

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – Title page; art by Reginald Heade

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – Message; art by Reginald Heade

Notice above that Uncle Mac’s name is being used AND the cover uses his image, so I wondered if this is the earliest Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book? But no, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s printed in 1952

Whoever drew the Contents page, they took an easy way out for the Contents page by drawing children’s activities and not elements of the stories within, as others have done in other volumes.

CONTENTS

THE BRITISH PRIVATE, by SHEILA STEEN; Drawings by Jeanne Farrar
THE MISSEL-THRUSH, by OLIVE DEHN; Drawings by Valerie Sweet
THE LAST WOLF, by JOHN KEIR CROSS; Drawings by [Artur?] Horowicz
OPERATION AVOCET, by JAMES FISHER; Drawings by Len Fullerton
GLOVE-PRINTS AND OUSTITI, by BERNARD NEWMAN; Drawings by Leslie Otway
THEY CAN BE FRIENDS, by BRIAN VESEY FITZGERALD; Drawings by Douglas T. Duncan
THE DISAPPEARING DOG, by MARY CAMPBELL; Drawings by Valerie Sweet
MOTHER MICHEL AND HER CAT, by ANTONIA RIDGE; Drawings by Barbara C. Freeman
THE FROG AND THE CIGARS, by KEN FRANCIS; Drawings by G. W. Backhouse
SIX O’CLOCK, by OLIVE DEHN; Drawings by Valerie Sweet
THE GREAT EXHIBITION, by ALISON UTTLEY; Drawings by Geoffrey Whittam
WINDOW-BOXES AND MINIATURE GARDENS; Drawings by Geoffrey Salter
THE GOOD PENNY, by GEOFFREY DEARMER; Drawings by Gilbert Dunlop
THE KITE, by OLIVE DEHN; Drawings by A. H. Watson
“WHAT’S THAT CATERPILLAR?” by L. HUGH NEWMAN; Drawings by Len Fullerton
THE CAT THAT LOST FACE, by MERYON VANCE; Drawings by Pauline Baynes
THE ELEPHANT AND CASTLE, by R. D. PECK; Drawings by Haro

ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR

A LEAD SOLDIER TAKES SHAPE, by Jeanne Farrar
GILBERT USED HIS FAMOUS UPPER-CUT, by Leslie Otway
PLAYMATES, by Douglas T. Duncan
ARRIVAL OF THE EXHIBITION SPECIAL, by Geoffrey Whittam
HE RUSHED IN PURSUIT … by Geoffrey Salter

HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS: “WHAT’S THAT CATERPILLAR?”

ART GALLERY and my comments and queries

The first two images are by Jeanne Farrar who is a new name to me – but Enid Blyton fans will know her. More of her work can be seen on this Italian blog on illustrators. I’ve included these here in case she has fans looking for her work and also to ensure I remember I have now come across her work!

The next two are from the story that takes place in Medieval Britain. I think the art is by Artur Horowicz (1898 – 1962). If it is indeed him, he studied art in Warsaw, his birthplace, before exhibiting in Berlin and then London where he illustrated for such magazines as The Illustrated London News and The Sketch.

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – p.26; art by Len Fullerton

Now with the following I have recognised this artist’s work for many years – having seen it first in my sister’s comic Princess Tina. Leslie Otway (1902-1979), drew “Alona the Wild One” for that comic, but his work appears in all sorts of books, comics and magazines and his style is endearing. His work can be identified through his use of heads which appear angled and he does wonderful dynamic figure work.

Douglas T. Duncan’s art doesn’t appeal to me but the best piece here is this colour portrait – and even here, I dislike the cat portrait, but the cocker spaniel is drawn far better than any of the other illustrations!

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – p.48; art by Douglas T. Duncan

We’ve already seen some art by Valerie Sweet in the article on Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Book [1952?], but I thought I’d add this sweet(!) image where she breaks the border with the characters involved.

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – p.49; art by Valerie Sweet

Barbara C. Freeman’s work appears in several children’s books such as this one (and Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Book [1952] ), and again she produces some lovely work. My friend Steve Holland has written a brief overview of her life (29 November 1906 – 6 May 1999).

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – p.56; art by Barbara C. Freeman

The next artist I want to highlight is the versatile Geoffrey William Backhouse (16 November 1903 – 1 August 1978). I have known about him because of his work in the Swift comic, where he drew ‘Tammy the Sheepdog’ in the mid-1950s. He is predominantly a nature/animal artist, but here, I was drawn to the stippling in the second illustration, a technique used by many artists to show a gradation from one area to another – in this case the shadow thrown by the candle.

I don’t want to write anything about Geoffrey Whittam, as Steve Holland has done an extensive bibliography (plus biography) on his blog but the colour illustration accompanying “The Great Exhibition” story by Alison Uttley is worth my reproducing here.

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953]* – p.81; art by Geoffrey Whittam

Gilbert Dunlop needs no introduction as he will be familiar from many children’s books especially the “Barney” books by Enid Blyton – or the ‘R’ Books as I called them as a kid – The Rockingdown Mystery; The Rilloby Fair Mystery; The Ring O’ Bells Mystery; The Rubadub Mystery; The Rat-a-Tat Mystery; The Ragamuffin Mystery. However, knowledge of details are hard to come by.

The major offline sources tell me he was a prolific artist active between 1949-1966 – I can widen that to 1935-1965 One art site mentions his dates as 1901-1984 but how authoritative this is, I don’t know. I’ve add a bibliography of his work at the end of this article to help other researchers but should anyone have any further information on this wonderful artist, not only would I like to know, but so would the Enid Blyton Society!

The next artist to show you is A. H. Watson – Alice Helena Watson (1896-1984). In the second picture below you can see her signature and her lovely biography on Stella and Rose’s Books website. I’d love to see more of these articles by the bookseller. And if they listed all artists they could find in their stock, I’d be over the Moon, and I think they’d increase sales – as I, for one, would come running for a single illustration by Raymond Sheppard, if I don’t own it already!

Next we have the very famous Narnia illustrator par excellence, Pauline Baynes

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book* *[1953]* – p.113; art by Pauline Baynes

The last one I want to feature is “Haro”, (Haro Hodson (9 February 1923 – 19 January 2021)), – there’s a nice photo on the Guardian website as he illustrated so many cartoons for them and the Observer. His signature is very distinctive.

*Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book* *[1953]* – p.119; art by Haro

GILBERT DUNLOP BIBLIOGRAPHY of his artwork

[All data gathered from various sources – so please check before buying anything on spec, as I have tried very hard to get the dates and appearances of Dunlop’s art right]

Science in Wonderland by A. M. Low L. Dickson & Thomson, London 1935
Alison Temple Prefect by Winifred Darch, Oxford University Press, Geoffrey Cumberlege, London 1938
Missing Bank Manager by Michael Poole, Oxford University Press, Humphrey Milford, London 1938
Grey Men by C Hamilton Ellis, Oxford University Press, Humphrey Milford, London 1939
Mystery At Merrilees by Michael Poole, Oxford University Press, London 1939
New Girl At Graychurch by Winifred Darch, Oxford University Press, London 1939
Browne of the Secret Service by Michael Poole, Oxford University Press, London 1940
Bunty Brown – Probationer by Barbara M. Wilcox, Oxford University Press, Geoffrey Cumberlege, London 1940
Gwythen Clay Mystery by Michael Poole, Oxford University Press, London 1940
Lucy and her Friends by Dinah Pares Harrap, London 1940
Little Mr. Huffy-Puffy by Adelaide Makower, Collins, London 1946
Semolina (first helping), by Buster Brown (AKA Arthur Miles Weber-Brown), Collins, London 1946
Adventures with Rosalind by Charlotte Austen Hutchinson’s Books for Young People, London 1947
Baby Elephant by Gilbert Dunlop, Collins, London 1947
Semolina (second helping), by Buster Brown (AKA Arthur Miles Weber-Brown), Collins, London 1947
Marjorie & Co. by Lorna Hill, Art & Educational Publishers, London 1948
Semolina (third helping), by Buster Brown (AKA Arthur Miles Weber-Brown), Collins, London 1948
Stolen Holiday by Lorna Hill, Art & Educational Publishers, London 1948
Camp Christopher by Pat Arrowsmith, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1949
Guest Castle by Kathleen Fidler, Lutterworth, London 1949
Rockingdown Mystery by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1949
Semolina Grunbles by Buster Brown (AKA Arthur Miles Weber-Brown), Collins, London 1949
Semolina Moves, by Buster Brown (AKA Arthur Miles Weber-Brown), Collins, London 1949
“The Ring O’Bells Mystery” in Sunny Stories in 29 Parts #492-520 (29 September 1950-16 November 1951) by Enid Blyton, George Newnes, London 1950
Collins Children’s Annual [cover] Collins, London 1950
Rhodesian Adventure by Mollie Chappell, Collins, London 1950
Rilloby Fair Mystery by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1950
Sooti by Gilbert Dunlop, Collins, London 1950
Alison’s Poaching Adventure by Sheila Stuart, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1951
Christmas at Cowleaze Farm (in B.B.C. Children’s Hour Annual) by Ralph Whitlock Burke Publishing Co. Ltd, London 1951
Little Shop on the Corner by Monica Backway Blackie & Son Limited, London 1951
Nine on the Trail by Heather Prime, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1951
Ring O’ Bells Mystery by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1951
They Called Her Patience by Lorna Hill, Burke Publishing Co. Ltd, London 1951
Alison’s Kidnapping Adventure by Sheila Stuart, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1952
Boy Next Door by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1952
Cormorant Ahoy! By George E Haley, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1952
It was All Through Patience by Lorna Hill, Burke Publishing Co. Ltd, London 1952
Merry Minstrel by Haydn Perry, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1952
Nine Afloat by Heather Prime, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1952
Prince Dynamite: The Story of Lawrence of Arabia by John Kennett, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1952
Rubadub Mystery by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1952
With Powder, Shot and Sword : the Story of Sir Francis Drake by John Kennett, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1952
The Good Penny in Uncle Mac’s Children Hour Story Book [1953] by Geoffrey Dearmer, Collins, London, 1952
As Simple as ABC by Phyllis Helen Saunders Blackie & Son Limited, London 1953
Castle in Northumbria by Lorna Hill, Burke Publishing Co. Ltd, London 1953
Family Adventure by Pamela Mansbridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1953
Good-bye Uncle Simon! by Pat Arrowsmith, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1953
Mad Martins by Reginald Taylor Blackie & Son Limited, London 1953
Penny Foolish by Jane Gillespie, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1953
Wonderful Adventures Of Snowball (Kingfisher Book # B2) by Irene Gass, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1953
Alison’s Island Adventure by Sheila Stuart, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Blackie’s Prize Book of Stories, by Various Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Cormorant’s Commandos by George E Haley, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Exploration in the Antarctic by Nina Langley, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Jimmy and Janet on the Farm by W. Kersley Holmes, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
The Magic Ear-Rings, and the Free Willows by Monica Backway Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Marigold Becomes a Brownie (Kingfisher Book # B8) by Susan Jolly, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Piper’s Cave by Isobel Knight, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Queen’s Rescue by Agnes Ashton, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Riverside Adventure by Pamela Mansbridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1954
Secret of the Screes by Thomas Francis Maher, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Wright Brothers-the Story of the Conquest of the Air by Dorothy King, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Twopence Coloured by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1954
We went to live in Scotland by Cecilia Knowles Blackie & Son Limited, London 1954
Alison’s Spy Adventure by Sheila Stuart, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1955
Andy takes the Lead by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1955
Beginning to read: a picture-reading book for the youngest children by E. R. Boyce Macmillan, London 1955
Children in the Square by Pamela Mansbridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1955
Happy Story of Wallace the Engine by Henry Donald, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1955
Scott of the Antarctic by Bertie Webster Smith, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1955
Story of Hal 5 and the Haywards by Henry Donald, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1955
Threepenny Bit by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1955
Fourpenny Fair by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1956
Magic Sleigh-Ride by Jay Wallace, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1956
Rat-A-Tat Mystery by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1956
Andy in Danger by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1957
Andy in Trouble by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1957
Annabella and the Smugglers by Mary Fitt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1957
“The Ragamuffin Mystery” in Enid Blyton’s Magazine by Enid Blyton, Evans, London 1958
Alison’s Riding Adventure by Sheila Stuart, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1958
Alison’s Pony Adventure by Sheila Stuart, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1958
Andy Keeps A Secret by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1958
Blue Storybook – A Blackie Bumper Book, by various including Elizabeth Gould, Barbara Freeman and others Blackie & Son Limited, London 1958
Charles Darwin Naturalist by Dorothy Laird, Blackie & Son Limited, London 1958
Crooked Sixpence by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1958
Fivepenny Mystery by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1958
Mystery at Queen’s by Sylvia Little, (AKA Eric Leyland), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1958
Red Storybook – A Blackie Bumper Book, various including Elizabeth Gould, Barbara Freeman and others Blackie & Son Limited, London 1958
Shifting Sands by Mary Fitt, Children’s Book Club 1958
So Much To Win by Stephen Mogridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1958
Thirteen for Luck by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1958
Willow Green Mystery by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1958
Andy Finds A Way by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1959
Cross Channel by Sylvia Little, (AKA Eric Leyland), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1959
Inn of Mystery by Ivy Russell, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1959
Lively Expression (Books 1-4) by Denis Wilfred Barker Macmillan, London 1959
Looking after Thomas by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1959
Ragamuffin Mystery by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1959
Andy Goes Abroad by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1960
Holiday in London by Pamela Mansbridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1960
Ice on the Lawn by Jill Stevens (AKA Stephen Mogridge), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1960
Long Garden by Jill Stevens (AKA Stephen Mogridge), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1960
Tall Man by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1960
Venture to South Africa by Jane Shaw, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1960
Andy wins the Prize by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1961
Circus Comes to School by Sylvia Little, (AKA Eric Leyland), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1961
Creek Street Jumble by Pamela Mansbridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1961
Golden Path Pets by Mary Gervaise, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1961
House by the Shore by Ivy Russell, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1961
Julia’s Swiss Smuggler by Jill Stevens (AKA Stephen Mogridge), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1961
Mystery That Never Was by Enid Blyton, Collins, London 1961
New Girl at Minster by Sylvia Little, (AKA Eric Leyland), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1961
Dutch Painting by Jill Stevens (AKA Stephen Mogridge), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1962
Green Umbrella by Jill Stevens (AKA Stephen Mogridge), Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1962
Highway to the Bible (Books 1-4) by Donald M McFarlan Blackie & Son Limited, London 1962
No Medals for Guy by Lorna Hill, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1962
Newcomers at the Cray by Pamela Mansbridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1962
Red Peppers by Stephen Mogridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1962
Andy and Her Twin by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1963
Poems for you (Books 1-4) by Val Sibley, Raymond Sibley Collins, London 1963
Vigorous Verse by W. R. S. McIntyre, Macmillan, London 1963
Battle tunes at Bindleton by Pamela Mansbridge, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1964
April Gold by Viola Bayley Dent, London 1965
Intruders at Pinetops by Freda M. Hurt, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London 1965
Semolina lends a hand in Crackerjack Treasure Book by Various Children’s Press, London 196?

Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Book [1952]

Jan13

*Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book* [1952] Cover by ‘Mays’ i.e. Douglas Lionel Mays (1900-1991)

The jumping off page for all BBC and Uncle Mac annuals

*Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book* [1952] – Endpapers art by Mays

So we are looking at the ‘red’ or ‘stage’ cover this time. But how to date the thing? None of “Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Book” or “Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour STORY Book” are dated internally. The quirky labelling of children’s annuals in the UK mean they are published in Year X and labelled Year Y for the coming year but for whatever reason none of these are dated in the title. So for example if the book / annual in question was published in 1951 and for sale – usually in September for the Christmas market 1951-, the title would say “XYZ Annual 1952” – thus projecting the future and therefore the book appears to buyers as new and not out of date. The publishers of all the Children’s Hour Annual, the Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour books and the BBC Children’s Annuals left all the annuals undated – to be fair they aren’t claiming to be annuals!

Now to this particular annual. Raymond Sheppard drew an article in the November 1954 Young Elizabethan magazine which was reprinted in the Collins Magazine Annual 1955, along with other pieces from the year’s run of the Young Elizabethan magazine. What’s this got to do with our red dustjacket above? I worked out that the dustjacket for the annual under discussion is dated copyright 1951 as it advertises the only Collins Magazine Annual I could find with the afore-mentioned W.E. Johns’ story which was in Collins Magazine Annual #4 (1951). The other clues on the dustjacket are too general to help pinpoint anything better. So I’m stating it’s fictitious title is Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book [1952].

I said there’s no internal evidence but actually the story “Summer in the Canadian Arctic” has a signed and dated drawing – “1950” and that’s the only internal evidence.

CONTENTS

SUMMER IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC, by PETER SCOTT; Drawings by Donald Watson
MAGIC, by JOHN KEIR CROSS; Drawings by Batchelor
THE LUCKY BAG, by ALISON UTTLEY; Drawings by Barbara C. Freeman
PERIWINKLE HILL, by OLIVE DEHN; Drawings by Valerie Sweet
NOT SO CLUELESS, by BERNARD NEWMAN; Drawings by S. Van Abbé
THE ROYAL FEET (A Play), by ANTONIA RIDGE; Drawings by Barbara C. Freeman
SOME NOTES TO HELP YOU, by ANTONIA RIDGE; Drawings by Barbara C. Freeman
BIRD-WATCHING, by JAMES FISHER; Drawings by Len Fullerton
SUMMER IS OVER, by OLIVE DEHN; Drawings by Valerie Sweet
THE PULBOROUGH PIKE, by OLIVE DEHN; Drawings by G. S. Sherwood
SIMON AND THE TELESCOPE, by Meryon Vance; Drawings by A. H. Watson
THE GOLDFISH AND THE PIANO-TUNER, by Barbara E. Todd; Drawings by Valerie Sweet
THIMBLE, by Noel Streatfeild; Drawings by Hilda Boswell
THE HARVEST, by OLIVE DEHN; Drawings by Valerie Sweet
“WELL, I’M BLOWED!” by Geoffrey Dearmer; Drawings by G. W. Backhouse
SEVEN KINGS, by R. D. Peck; Drawings by Douglas Relf

ART GALLERY and queries and comments

My first query is which “Batchelor” drew the illustrations for the story “Magic”? We have John Batchelor who drew those wonderful cutaways for Eagle comic but other than that I’m stuck. Could this be him? Roland, Bernard and Valerie Batchelor don’t look like candidates, and the more likely candidate Halas John Batchelor’s cartoon drawings don’t match the style. Does anyone want to tell me if they know?

I thought you’d like to see some Barbara C. Freeman artwork so here’s the first page of one story and a beautiful spread within the play “The Royal Feet”, by Antonia Ridge.

*Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book* [1952] – page 35 drawn by Barbara C. Freeman

*Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book* [1952] – page 160-161 drawn by Barbara C. Freeman

Next is the artist G. S. Sherwood about whom I know nothing. I’m sure I’ve seen that distinctive signature elsewhere. He drew for Punch (in the 1930s) as well as other magazines – see below , and illustrated books.

Short bibliography

The pleasure’s yours. A guide to the right and proper employment of the leisure hours … The whole profusely illustrated by G. S. Sherwood by H. F. Ellis, published by Methuen, London, 1933
Much Ado Mostly About Nothing, published by Methuen & Co., London, 1934
Mr. Punch’s Limerick Book, published by Cobden-Sanderson, London, 1934
Thoughts on things, Humorous Essays, by Anthony Armstrong, published by Methuen, London, 1935
Song Salad, by Laurance Tanner, published by Arrowsmith, 1938
Second helping, by Laurance tanner, published by Arrowsmith, London, 1938
Verses from Alice, published by London Collins, 1944
Edward Lear’s Nonsense Alphabet, published by Collins, London, 1950
A Pedlar’s Pack, by D. Palmer-Jones, published by Erskine Macdonald Ltd, London, [Undated]

Pearson’s Magazine July 1913, Oct 1916
The Royal Magazine October and November 1915
The Magpie Summer 1924
Popular Pictorial April 2 1927
Gaiety July 1927, August 1927, September 1927
The Passing Show Summer 1929, Christmas 1929, Christmas 1930
The Merrythoughts’ Magazine June 1932
Nash’s—Pall Mall Magazine December 1936, January 1937, February 1937, April 1937
The Strand Magazine August 1939
London Opinion (Various cartoons)