Exhibition: The Humour of William Heath Robinson

To mark the 150th anniversary of Heath Robinson's birth, an exhibition of a selection of his cartoons representing the wide range of his subjects and spanning his humorous output from 1905 to 1943.

During two World Wars he deployed irony and satire to counter German propaganda and to bring a little mirth into the otherwise painful lives of servicemen and civilians. Both greatly appreciated his efforts. A similar dry humour was used to satirise the pomposity and fussiness of those who took themselves too seriously. He was modest and gentle, qualities that shine through in his humour.

As a review of his memorial exhibition in the Times in 1945 commented, “What may be unexpected in this exhibition is the fineness of Heath Robinson’s craftsmanship – the clean and firm fluency of his pen line and the quality of his watercolour washes. Those who have known his work only in reproduction will be surprised at its technical excellence.”

Ian has visited - review here.