William Heath Robinson
W. Heath Robinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 May 1872 Islington, England |
| Died | 13 September 1944 (aged 72) London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Illustrator, cartoonist and artist |
| Known for | Drawings of weird machines |
William Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 – 13 September 1944) was an English cartoonist, illustrator and artist. He is famous for drawing imaginary complicated machines for simple functions.[1]
In the United Kingdom, a complicated machine which does simple things is called a "Heath Robinson contraption".[2]
Life[change | change source]
William Heath Robinson was born in Hornsey Rise, London on 31 May 1872.[3] His family were artists. His father and brothers worked as illustrators.[4]
At first, he wanted to be a painter. However, he was not successful.[2] He started illustrating books. He made pictures and drawings for books. He illustrated books like Hans Christian Andersen's Danish Fairy Tales and Legends and The Arabian Nights. He published a book for children called The Adventures of Uncle Lubin in 1902. The book showed his imagination and sense of humor.[4]
He was asked to make illustrations for The Works of Mr Francis Rabelais. He made 254 black and white illustrations. The publisher went bankrupt in 1904. Robinson did not make a lot of money from the book.[5] He had to make money. He started making cartoons and illustrations for magazines.[4]
During the First World War, Robinson made satirical cartoons. He also drew impossible machines and weapons. These cartoons were enjoyed by the soldiers.[2] After the war, he made more cartoons and advertisements. From 1919 to 1928, The Bystander published more than 400 of Robinson's cartoons. In 1935, he made Railway Ribaldry for the Great Western Railway.[4]
Robinson died on September 13, 1944 because of a stroke. He is buried in the East Finchley Cemetery.[4]
Personal life[change | change source]
In 1899, he became engaged to Josephine Constance Latey. The couple were married on April 30, 1903.[4] His house in Moss Lane is marked by a blue plaque.[6]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Bryant, Mark. World War I in Cartoons. London: Grub Street Pub, 2006, page 17, ISBN 190494356X
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 History – Historic Figures: William Heath Robinson (1872–1944) Archived 2019-10-27 at the Wayback Machine. BBC. Retrieved on 2011-05-06.
- ↑ Day, Langston (1976). The life and art of W. Heath Robinson. Wakefield: EP Pub. p. 17. ISBN 0715811800. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Heneage, Simon (2004). "Robinson, William Heath (1872–1944), cartoonist and illustrator". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35803. Retrieved 14 March 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ↑ Hamilton, James (1995). William Heath Robinson. London: Pavilion. ISBN 978-1-85793-604-9.
- ↑ "W. Heath Robinson". English Heritage. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
Other websites[change | change source]
- The William Heath Robinson Trust
- The Heath Robinson Museum
- Heath Robinson exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 2004
- SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages: Fairy Tale Illustrations of William Heath Robinson Archived 2010-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
- W. H. Robinson's illustrations for Andersen's Fairy Tales (1913) and Heath Robinson's Book of Goblins (Golden Age Children's Book Illustrators Gallery)
- Tribute from JVJ Publishing site Archived 2021-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
- Works by William Heath Robinson at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about William Heath Robinson at Internet Archive
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