Robert Hodgson was a very prolific illustrator who contributed to Swift Annual 1963 and Girl Annual 1963. He was associated with a number of series published by Thomas Nelson, including the Corrigan novels by Reginald Maddock and the Pocomoto westerns by Rex Dixon as well as many novels by Douglas V. Duff. Between 1967 and 1970, he illustrated the 'Wee Willie Winkie' stories in Treasure, following in the footsteps of John Worsley.Other than that, there seems to be nothing known about him. The large gap in the chronology below (almost the whole decade from 1964-73) is only partly filled by his work for Treasure and presumably he had some other regular outlets for his artwork that have yet to be discovered.
Illustrated Books
The Burnished Sword by Jessie H. Maclehose. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1955.
Caroline House by Elisabeth Kyle. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1955.
Cormorant Sails Again by George E. Haley. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Sons, 1955.
Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore (abridged). London & Glasgow, Blackie & Sons, 1955.
The Unwilling Adventurers by Veronica Westlake. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Sons, 1955.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Sons, 1955.
Andy Gets the Blame by Freda M. Hurt. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1956.
Corrigan and the White Cobra by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1956.
The Double Halfpenny by Maribel Edwin. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1956.
New Forest Exploits by Stephen Mogridge. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1956.
The Turnip Watch by Mary Fitt. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1956.
A Bridge Under the Water by Maribel Edwin. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Corrigan and the Black Riders by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Corrigan and the Tomb of Opi by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Corrigan and the Yellow Peril by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Explorer Lost! The story of Colonel Fawcett by Robert Churchward. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Maid of Orleans. The story of Joan of Arc by Elisabeth Kyle. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Man of Justice. The story of Solon by Mary Fitt. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
New Forest Discoveries by Stephen Mogridge. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Ocean Haul by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Pocomoto and the Circus Folk by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Pocomoto and the Desert Gold by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Queen of Scots. The story of Mary Stuart by Elisabeth Kyle. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
The Quest of the Golden Eagle by Mary Cathcart Borer. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Rocky and the Lions by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
The San Matteo by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Sea-Bed Treasure by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Sea-Serpent Island by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1957.
Alfred the Great. The story of an English king. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
Black Ivory by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
Corrigan and the Golden Pagoda by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
Daffodil Island by Judith M. Berrisford. London, Macmillan & Co., 1958.
Father of Railways. The story of George Stephenson by Oswald Stevens Nock. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
Man of the White South. The story of Captain Scott by Admiral Lord Mountevans. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
New Forest Smugglers by Stephen Mogridge. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
The Nuclear Castle Story by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
The Pale Grey Man by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
Pocomoto and the Lazy Sheriff by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
Pocomoto and the Texas Pioneers by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
Scimitar Trail by Gerard Wyndham. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
William Shakespeare by Ivor Brown. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1958.
At Close Grips by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
Corrigan and the Dream-Makers by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
Crusader's Gold by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
The House With Roots by Barbara Willard. London, Constable & Co., 1959.
The Lively Oracles by Donald McFarlan. London & New York, Thomas Nelson, 1959.
New Forest Pirates by Stephen Mogridge. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
Pocomoto and the Lost Hunters by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
The Story of Greece by Mary Macgregor. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
The Story of Rome by Mary Macgregor. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
Undersea Oiltanker by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1959.
Andy and Mandy Stories by Reginald Masters. London, Macmillan & Co., 1960- ; New York, St. Martin's Press, 1960- .
Corrigan and the Blue Crater by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
Easter Egg by James W. Kenyon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
Edmund Kean. The story of an actor by W. MacQueen-Pope. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
Joseph Lister by Elizabeth Jenkins. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
The Maythorn Story by Geoffrey Trease. London, Heinemann, 1960.
New Forest Vagabond by Stephen Mogridge. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
Pocomoto and the Golden Herd by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
Pocomoto and the Texas Ranger by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
Rustlers of the Fells by Eric Leyland. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
The Secret Arrow by Kenneth Lillington. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
The Stolen Aircraft Carrier by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
The Time Maze by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960.
The Case of the Missing Master by Stephen Mogridge. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1961.
Corrigan and the Green Tiger by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1961.
Farms and Farming by J. C. Gagg. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 2), 1961.
The Farthingale Find by Mary Gervaise. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1961.
Going Concern by Eric Leyland. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1961.
New House at Northmead by Jane Shaw. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1961.
Pocomoto and the Warrior Braves by Rex Dixon. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1961.
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck. London, Heinemann, 1961.
Venturer -- Top Secret by Ian F. Sine. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1961.
A Book of Discovery by M. B. Synge; revised by Elspeth Boog Watson and J. Isobel Carruthers. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
Buffalo Bill. The story of William Cody by Philip Dennington. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
A Book of Pirates by Rex Dixon. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
Corrigan and the Red Lions by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
Mystery of Merridown Mill by Marjorie Mary Oliver. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
New Forest Detectives by Stephen Mogridge. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
The Painted Swan by Mary Gervaise. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
Pirates Abroad! by Douglas V. Duff. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
Rocky and the Elephant by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
The Tall Man from the Sea by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
The Willow Wand by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962.
A Book of Highwaymen by Rex Dixon. Edinburgh, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1963.
Corrigan and the Little People by Reginald Maddock. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1963.
Dragon Hill by David Walker. London, Collins, 1963.
Northmead Nuisance by Jane Shaw. London, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1963.
The Pearls of Marguerite by Frances B. Clark. London, Heinemann, 1963.
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. London, J. M. Dent & Sons, 1968; New York, E. P. Dutton & Co., 1968.
Blackwell's Little Learning Library by J. C. Gagg; illus. with others. Oxford, Blackwell, 6 vols., 1971.
Cinderella. London, Dean, 1971.
Puss in Boots. London, Dean, 1971.
The Sleeping Beauty. London, Dean, 1971.
The Three Bears. London, Dean, 1971.
Symbols and Signs by Frances Wilkins. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 74), 1974.
Zoos by Alan James. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 75), 1974.
Lamps and Lighting by Daphne Going. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 78), 1974.
Newspapers by Alan James. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 83), 1975.
Tools by L. G. Humphrys. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 85), 1975.
Britain Yesterday by Geoffrey Trease. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 86), 1975.
Food and Cooking by Jane Coram. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 88), 1975.
Keeping Pets by Alan James. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 90), 1975.
The Story of Cars by Mary Cockett. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 91), 1976.
Circuses by Alan James. Oxford, Blackwell (Learning Library 99), 1978.
(* The picture is from Swift Annual 1963 and is © Look and Learn Magazine Ltd.)
I knew Bob Hodgson as he was the artist for my father's book, Buffalo Bill. I was also the model for The Prince and the Pauper and have original paintings from this.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon,
ReplyDeleteAny clues that might lead us to more information on Hodgson? Any idea where he lived? How old he was? Any memories of working with him would be very welcome.
Hi, I have only just revisited this page as I have found a large painting of Bob's that he gave to my father as a Christmas card. He lived on the Isle of Wight and I first remember visiting him in an apartment in Union Street, Ryde. He was a great joker and once projected an image of a crack down the front of the Yelf's Hotel opposite!
ReplyDeleteI saw him fairly regularly when he was doing the drawings for Buffalo Bill in the early 60s. I would say he was as old as my father, so in his 40s in the 1960s
He was very animated and outgoing. I next visited him next in his cottage and studio in St Helens, IOW where I believe he lived and worked until he died at a relatively young age. I was the model for his illustrations of The Prince and the Pauper and he was the villain with his goatee beard and moustache.
He was related to Ralph Hodgson the poet and gave lectures on him in the US.
Bob Hodgson was my grandfather and it's great to see his work is still appreciated . He died in 1988 in his early seventies . He divided his time between the Isle of Wight and London . I think his roots were in Kent and , perhaps before that , Northumberland . He fought in the army during the Second World War under Montgomery and in the Army Flying Corp ; a very colourful character indeed . He illustrated for Boys Own Paper - not sure on the period but certainly spanned the Queen's coronation - many of the front covers in that period were his work . From the work I have seen many of the characters were based around his children and grandchildren . He had considerable talent which was mainly directed to commercial work ( famous shot putter on Scots Porrige Oats packet being one ) or illustrating books and magazines - I think he enjoyed applying his abundant imagination to his work rather than being constrained by private commissions . He studied at the Slade and made particular study of animals - his ability to draw horses I particular - I recall that he took work in an abattoir when training to see muscle structure in all its detail .
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment. If you or your family ever care to share any more memories of your grandfather, you can always drop me a line directly - my contact address can be found top left, under the photo.
ReplyDelete