Children’s Hour Annual [1937, ©1936]

Here’s another BBC Children’s Annual investigated and it’s a long one! Fortunately for me, when the first three (1935-1937) annuals were published, their dates are published within – thus saving any confusion (beyond the usual dating/naming of UK annuals). So normally the one dated 1936 might be labelled ‘1937’ so let’s call this The Children’s Hour Annual [1937, © 1936]

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 – cover by Keith McKay Edmunds, or Kay Edmunds(?)

This annual was advertised in The Bookseller on 2 September 1936 at 3/6d for its 168 pages. The Blackie’s Boys’ Annual of the same year was 228 pages and sold for 5/- and D.C. Thomson’s Wizard Book for Boys was 2/6d, so as a friend said to me “you pays your money; you takes your choice”!

CONTENTS with artists added by me!

• Hullo Children ! – Derek McCulloch
• Foreword – A. J. Alan
• The Secret Of Longwater -Franklyn Kelsey; Drawings by Norman Hepple (?)
• Red Knight – Olive Dehn; Drawing by ‘PBL’
• The Twisted Tale Of Mop And Mow – Hugh E. Wright; Drawings by ‘Sleigh’ and a colour illo by Jacynth Parsons
• Steve Talks! – Commander Stephen King-Hall; Drawing by ‘Unknown’
• Kimpie Plays For Tillingfold – Hugh De Sélincourt; Drawings by Raymond Sheppard
• The Breaking In of Herr Rittmeister Bams – Olive Dehn; Drawing by Douglas Lionel Mays
• Memories Of Mooween – H. Mortimer Batten; Drawings by Raymond Sheppard
• The Common Tern – Olive Dehn; Drawing by ‘PBL’
• At 5-15 – Derek McCulloch; Drawings by ‘Unknown / “The Stippling artist”
• “Hey, Dittle Dittle” – Carey Grey; Draings by Jacynth Parsons
• A Farewell To Flowering – Olive Dehn; Drawing by ‘PBL’
• Joe Rabbit’s Party – George C. Nash; Drawings by Ernest Aris
• Some Of My Hobbies – Lieutenant-Commander R. T. Gould; Drawings by author?
• Queen Brigid’s Choice – Norah Holloway; Drawings by Gladys Peto
• Bird-Watching In Australia – David Seth-Smith; Drawings by Harry Rountree
• The Pirate Who Wept – L. Du Garde Peach; Drawings by René Bull
• “The School Technician” – J. D. Strange; Drawings by ‘Unknown’
• How To Practice Catching, Bowling And Fielding – P. G. H. Fender; Drawings by Thomas Heath Robinson
• All Round The Bay – Barbara Euphan Todd And “Klaxon”; Drawings by H. M. Brock
• The Duke’s Button – Peter Roberts; Drawings by L. Sterne Stevens

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS – i.e photographs and drawings

• Derek McCulloch—Uncle Mac of the B.B.C. . . . Frontispiece (Photograph by courtesy of the B.B.C.)
• “We tied them both up and sent for the local police” [COLOUR ILLO by Norman Hepple]
• “Mop stopped opposite Jim, and Mow stopped opposite Jane” [COLOUR ILLO by Jacynth Parsons]
• B.B. Studio (Dance Band), general view. (Photograph by courtesy of the B.B.C.)
• Broadcasting House Dramatic Control Room No. 3, December 1934. The D.C. Panel showing Talk-Back Microphone (Photograph by courtesy of the B.B.C.)
• P. G. H. Fender punishes a loose ball in the game, Middlesex versus Surrey, at Lord’s Ground, London (photo)
• Zoo Broadcast—The Cockatoo (Photograph by courtesy of the B.B.C.)

“Uncle Mac” tells us on the flyleaf as well in his introduction that “In presenting the second Children’s Hour Annual, I find it difficult to realize that twelve months have gone by since “No. 1″ appeared.” thus confirming this is the second under his reign. Each story or article has an introduction – which I have scanned for you below as researchers might find this to be the only information on some authors etc. If only artists had had the same treatment, I’d be happier, but nevertheless as usual I’ll have a go at filling out as many details as I can in the hope search engines guide researchers here.

Let’s start with what the lovely drawings for the title, contents and illustrations pages. They are signed “Fitz” but I have no clues to follow who this is. Any ideas anyone?

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 – art by Fitz

I think the next artist is Norman Hepple – and surely this must be Robert Norman Hepple (1908-1994). Take a look at the signature =- clearest in the first image from page 15

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Pages 15, 17 and 22 showing a signature “Norman “Hepple”?

Alan Horne (p.244) in his excellent The Dictionary of 20th Century Book Illustrators shows an illustration from “Gone to Earth” which has a very similar signature, so I think that corroborates my thinking!

Olive Dehn wrote a few verses in this book – illustrated by ‘PBL’ but who that is, I don’t know. The problem is I need somewhere to start. I like his/her illustrations and their initials are clearly present here. Anyone?

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937, pages 23, 68 and 84 – all drawn by ‘PBL’

The next artist is “Sleigh” which I guessed might be S. Leigh, but I can’t imagine it’s Stanley Howard Leigh of Biggles fame as he signed his name Howard Leigh, but stranger things have been known. The artwork has a woodblock look to it, in my opinion, and accompanies “The Twisted Tale Of Mop And Mow” by Hugh E. Wright, where ‘Sleigh’ does three illustrations. The earlier Children’s Hour Annual (more in a future article on this blog) has a story by Barbara Grace de Riemer Sleigh (1906–1982), the author of the Carbonel series about a king of cats but she didn’t illustrate any of her own stories to my knowledge. However there is an illo in the previous annual where she signs her work “B de R. S”, so ‘Sleigh’ remains a mystery. Coincidentally (or not?) her attached surname comes from her being the daughter of Bernarad Sleigh (the artist famed for “An Ancient Mappe of Fairyland, Newly Discovered and Set Forth”). I can’t see this work being his, but again, I’m putting this here in case others can solve the mystery.

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Page 26 by ‘Sleigh’, could this be Barbara Grace de Riemer Sleigh?

The next, by Jacynth Parson (1911-1992) is a lovely colour illustration to accompany the same story – which I found strange. Parsons was a renowned illustrator in her time and drew for various books – her father was an expert in stained-glass. Her art is easy to find on the Internet. and I’ve scanned two other illustrations below from the story “Hey Dittle Dittle!” It’s an interesting style which I like.

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Page 32 by Jacynth Parsons

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Pages 79 and 82 by Jacynth Parsons

The next artist I’d like to highlight is an old favourite – or at least I hope I’ve got this right. “The Breaking in of Herr Rittmeister Bams” by Olive Dehn, looks to be drawn by Douglas Lionel Mays. Look at the signature – his familiar spread lettering.

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Pages 52 and 55 by Douglas Lionel Mays

And then we come to another mystery artist. I love the excessive stippling in these illustrations which appear on pages 70, 72 and 75. The style is so familiar and distinctive but I can’t place the artist who I shall call “The Stippling Artist” until I find a name.

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Pages 70, 72 and 77 by “The Stippling Artist”!

The next artist conveniently signed their art: G. E. Peto (which rather looks like C. E. Peto to me!) Gladys Emma Peto was born in 1890 in Maidenhead and died at 86 in 1977 – an obituary appearing in the Times newspaper. Her first illustrations appeared in the works of Louisa M. Allcot in 1914 and her name became a brand in the 20s and 30s – with books like Gladys Peto’s Storyland, Gladys Peto’s Holiday Stories, Gladys Peto’s Girl’s Own Stories etc. She produced illustrations for The Sketch, many books on travel and posters etc. She moved to Northern Ireland in 1939 and had several successful exhibitions and as her obituary writer states: “in the twenties and early thirties it was the ” in” thing to wear a Gladys Peto dress.”

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Pages 105, 108 and 111 by Gladys Peto

The very well known Harry Rountree illustrates some animal pictures and I suspect Ernest Aris may also appear here illustrating “Joe Rabbit’s Party” but the next two I want to show are the very popular René Bull (1869 – 1942), who was born in Dublin on 11 December 1869 and died 14 March 1942 in Hampshire. He was known as a founder member of the London Sketch Club, and my interest was his wonderful children’s illustrations. The two here show his talent for pen and ink.

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Pages 124 and 127 by René Bull

Lastly I loved these three images by L. Sterne Stevens – surely not the same artist as the American who drew many artworks for science-fiction and adventure pulps in America? They both do lovely linework but I can’t see the similarity and my artists dictionaries have no clues. However the American pulp artist did live in Belgium in 1910 – is it too far-fetched to think he might have drawn for the BBC publication?

The Children’s Hour Annual 1937 Pages 161, 164 and 167 by L. Sterne Stevens

AUTHORS BIOGRAPHIES / INTRODUCTIONS

I’ve added the people’s names below in the hope anyone searching will find these entries and here are the endpapers showing the various authors

Franklyn Kelsey

Hugh E. Wright

Commander Stephen King-Hall

Olive Dehn

H. Mortimer Batten

Derek McCulloch / “Uncle Mac”

Carey Grey

George C. Nash

Lieutenant R. T. Gould

Norah Holloway

David Seth-Smith

Dr. L. Du Garde Peach

John D. Strange

P.G.H.Fender

Barbara Euphan Todd

Cyril (Peter) Roberts

I hope to cover the other two annuals soon!

Odhams – The Children’s Golden Treasure Book series: Part 2 – 1937

Odhams – The Children’s Golden Treasure Book series: Part 2 – 1937

Last time I looked at “The Children’s Golden Treasure Book” published in 1935, and there’s no evidence I can find that a comparable volume was published in 1936 – but as of course a commenter mentioned the volume we are looking at was published in 1936 for Christmas 1936 market and labelled the next year as is traditional in the UK. Here the title becomes a dated publication: “The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937″ and has a credit that it was edited by John R. Crossland and J. M. Parrish for Odhams, so just to be clear published in 1936.

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – Cover by ?

I’ve again typed the Contents page so it’s searchable for anyone researching an author and I’ve added artists where I’m certain of them.

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – Endpapers by Joyce Mercer

The endpapers are again by Joyce Mercer (1896 – 1965) who was a prolific children’s illustrator with an interest in costume and design which can be seen here. I found the lines across the pages distracting but each to their own.

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – Title pages by Joyce Mercer

So here we have a picture design with various characters and the date 1937 and we turn over and get the Contents header

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – Contents – art by Vera Bowyer

It took a bit of research and peering to see the name for this artist – Vera Bowyer drew a delightful dreamy bard for this page. The Contents listing is typed below for further research by others who might – like me – want to know who appears in this book. .

• CHRISTMAS BOXES – S. M. Coolidge; [illustrated by E. H. Davie /’EHD’]
• THE TOYS – Coventry Patmore
• THE DUSTMAN – Hans Andersen; [illustrated by Anne Anderson]
• A WONDERFUL SQUARE
• WHEN YOU GIVE A PARTY – M. V. Jack; [illustrated by ?]
• SILVER MANE – Ned Booth; [illustrated by D. G. Eyles]
• FINGER DOLLS – Henry Bramford; [illustrated by the author?]
• A WANDERER’S SONG – John Masefield
• THE HOUSE WITH THE TWISTY STAIRS – Marjorie Taylor; [illustrated by ?]
• PECULIAR NUMBERS –
• MADE WITH RAFIA – Irene Urquhart; [illustrated by the author?]
• RIDDLES TO GUESS
• LIGHT THE LAMPS UP, LAMPLIGHTER – Eleanor Farjeon
• THE MONARCH OF TAMARACK BEND – George Frederick Clarke; [illustrated by ?]
• A FEW LAUGHS FOR YOU
• HOW JOHN TRUSTY SAILED THE SEAS – S. G. Hulme Beaman; [illustrated by S. G. Hulme Beaman]
• THE THREE D’S AND THE VICARAGE FETE – Primrose Cumming; [illustrated by ?]
• LORD MACAULAY’S FAMOUS RIDDLE
• JOHN TRUSTY’S ADVENTURES – S. G. Hulme Beaman; [illustrated by S. G. Hulme Beaman]
• LUNATIC LIMERICKS – P. E. Herrick
• HOW DON QUIXOTE WAS DUBBED A KNIGHT – Miguel de Cervantes; [illustrated by Joyce Mercer]
• [“Don Quixote becomes a knight” facing page 96 illustrated by Joyce Mercer]
• [“Dummling and his Golden Goose” facing page 97 illustrated by Anne Anderson]
• FABLES FROM AESOP; [illustrated by Harry Rountree]
  • THE OLD WOMAN AND HER HEN
  • THE COUNTRYMAN AND THE SNAKE
  • THE MAN AND HIS WOODEN GOD
  • THE OLD MAN’S DREAM
  • THE LANDLORD AND THE APPLE TREE
  • THE FIGHTING COCKS AND THE EAGLE
• THE GOLDEN GOOSE (A PLAY) – K. Laverty; [illustrated by Anne Anderson]
• A STEAM MILL – Norman Anton; [illustrated by the author?]
• WEE WILLIE WINKIE – W. Miller
• Hans the Hedgehog – The Brothers Grimm; [illustrated by Anne Anderson?]
• The Little Admiral – T. C. Bridges; [illustrated by D.G. Eyles]
• The Tortoise that Talked – An Indian Fairy; [illustrated by ‘A.’?]
• Shadow Pictures – Norman Anton; [illustrated by the author?]
• Animal Silhouettes – Norman Anton; [illustrated by author?]
• The New Duckling – Alfred Noyes
• The Beggar Maid – C. Bernard Rutley; [illustrated by D. G. Eyles]
• These Will Make You Laugh
• Crossword Rocking Horse; [illustrated by ?]
• Peeps at Past Coronations – M. V.Jack; [illustrated by ?]
• Kwami the Lion-killer – Sercombe Griffin; [illustrated by T. Heath Robinson]
• Question and Answer
• Matchbox Magic – Henry Bramford; [illustrated by the author?]
• What Scared Number Ten? – Camilla Carlisle; [illustrated by ?]
• [Photogravure section: The Wonder of the Coronation]
• Conundrums to Guess
• Night Work – J. S. Fletcher; [illustrated by D. G. Eyles]
• Jokes to Tell
• Oliver Asks for More – Charles Dickens; [illustrated by Anne Anderson]
• The Table and the Chair – Edward Lear
• Puzzles for a Rainy Day
• Solution to Crossword Rocking Horse on page 156
• The Girl Detective – Harold Keeble; [illustrated by ?]
• Young Night Thought – Robert Louis Stevenson
• How Sir Percival Sought Sir Lancelot – Stuart Campbell; [illustrated by ?]
• Shell Cottage – Irene Urquhart; [illustrated by the author?]
• Solutions to Puzzles on page 202
• The Runaway Stratoplane – C. Sprigg; [illustrated by ?]
• Jo Goes to a Party – Louisa M. Alcott; [illustrated by E. H. Davie]
• Have You Heard This One ?
• The Castle Crossword; [illustrated by ?]
• On the Trail of the Wolf – C. Bernard Rutley; [illustrated by ?]
• [Photogravure section: A visit to the BBC]
• Berries – Walter de la Mare; [illustrated by ?]
• The Constant Prince – Charlotte M. Yonge; [illustrated by D. G. Eyles]
• Puzzles to Solve
• A Model Theatre – Norman Anton;; [illustrated by the author?]
• Solutions to Puzzles on page 249
• Solution to the Castle Crossword on page 234
• The Strong Man of Soronia – Stephen Southwold; [illustrated by ?]
• More Merry Tales
• Lupracaun – William Allingham; [illustrated by Anne Anderson?]
• How Everyday Things Work by John R. Hind; [illustrated by the author?]
  • The Motor Engine
  • A Railway Station
  • Ports and Docks
  • The Electric Light
  • Bringing Water to the Home
  • The Gas Supply
  • The Miracle of Wireless
  • The Romance of the Aeroplane
• ODE TO THE WEST WIND – P. B. SHELLEY; [illustrated by Anne Anderson?]
• PETRONELLA AND A PAIR OF SHOES – ESTRITH MANSFIELD; [illustrated by ?]
• TRY THESE ON YOUR FRIENDS
• THE JOY OF KEEPING PETS: – C. BERNARD RUTLEY; [illustrated by ?]
  • YOUR DOG AND HOW TO TREAT HIM
  • KEEPING A CAT
  • RABBIT KEEPING AS A HOBBY
  • BIRDS IN YOUR GARDEN; [illustrated by Ernest Aris]
  • AN AQUARIUM AT HOME – T. H. GILLESPIE; [illustrated by Ernest Aris]
• THE ARAB’S LEGACY
• THE FLOOD – MRS. CRAIK; [illustrated by ?]
• THE RIDDLE CORNER
• COUSIN CHARLES (A PLAY) – VIOLET M. METHLEY; [illustrated by ?]
• THE CHRISTMAS TREE CROSSWORD
• HINTS ON PHOTOGRAPHY – C. BERNARD RUTLEY; [illustrated by Norman Anton]
• RUGBY FOOTBALL – C. BERNARD RUTLEY; [illustrated by ?]
• JOYS OF STAMP COLLECTING – JOHN R. CROSSLAND; [illustrated by ?]
• CAN YOU ANSWER THESE?
• FUN WITH CHARADES – MARY K. CRICHTON; [illustrated by ?]
• HOW TO PLAY HOCKEY – KENNETH HAYENS; [illustrated by ?]
• PAPER MODELLING – HENRY BRAMFORD; [illustrated by the author?]
• LAVENDER LADY – SARAH G. SERVICE; [illustrated by the author?]
• A BURIED RAINBOW
• THE MAKING OF A LAWN-TENNIS PLAYER – A. E. BEAMISH; [illustrated by ?]
• SOME GARDENING HINTS – CECILY M. RUTLEY
• SOLUTIONS TO PUZZLES ON PAGES 330 AND 358
• LEARN TO SWIM – SID. G. HEDGES; [illustrated by ?]
• DO YOU KNOW?; [illustrated by ?]

A FEW IMAGES AND QUERIES

I looked at the first image in the book (“Christmas Boxes” from “What Katy did at school”) and wondered who drew this excellent piece and later in the book I found the answer – E. H. Davie. If you look carefully you might see my oversight! The signature is there! Anyway I love the very complete and detailed images so here are all those drawn in this book. If you’re an Enid Blyton fan you’ll recognise the style and signature from many titles. There’s even been a guess that this might be Emile Henry Davie who was born in 1895 and married in 1936 to Violet Eva Harford in Sussex, but that’s not conclusive but a very reasonable deduction from the 1939 Register.

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.9 art by E. H. Davie

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.13 art by E. H. Davie

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.16 art by E. H. Davie – signed EHD

The second story illustrated by E. H. Davie is “Jo Goes to a Party” by Louisa M. Alcott, another classic

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.225 art by E. H. Davie

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.227 art by E. H. Davie

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.231 art by E. H. Davie

Here are two by E. Moorey who I’ll look into more detail in a later blog article [UPDATE: He was Eric Monckton Moorey (1902-1973)]

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.29 art by E. Moorey

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – p.31 art by E. Moorey

This deer struck me when I saw it, but I have no idea who it’s by so I’ve scanned both pictures in the hop someone might have a guess

Then we get the forerunner to Minecraft and those block figures by Sydney George Hulme Beaman (1887-1932) and illustration for the story “John Trusty’s Adventures”

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 p.89 Art by Sydney George Hulme Beaman

Then just because it’s all over the Internet and in a bad reproduction here’s a nice scan for you of the ever popular Anne Anderson (1878-1930). You can see lots of her work and biography at Chris Beetles.

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – facing p.97 art by Anne Anderson

Then I laughed out loud at the next image. Harry Rountree not only signed the drawing but also his drawing of a lion on the wall!

The Children’s Golden Treasure Book for 1937 – facing p.105 art by Harry Rountree

NEXT: Odhams – The Children’s Golden Treasure Book series: Part 3 – 1938