Exhibition: Heath Robinson’s Illustrations for magazines, 1925 to 1936

With the start of the Second World War in 1914 Heath Robinson observed that “There was now no demand for purely artistic productions, for new editions of Shakespeare or other classics”. He was then dependent on humorous work for his income. However, from about 1925 respite from the constant need to be funny came from time to time with commissions to provide serious illustrations to short stories and articles in Nash’s Pall Mall Magazine and its sister publication Good Housekeeping.

The exhibition will include illustrations for stories by Richmal Crompton, J. B. Priestly & Gerald Bullett and John van Druten, an English playwright and theatre director.

He developed a distinctive style for these illustrations, very different from his earlier drawings and adapted to the two-colour printing process used for magazines of the time. He also produced a number of full-colour designs for the covers of magazines.

Another artist who was best known for his humorous work, but who also provided illustrations for Nash’s Pall Mall Magazine was Lesley Illingworth. The exhibition will include three examples for his work.