Eric Winter - Cinderella (Ladybird, 1964)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books)

Eric Winter

Eric Winter was a popular contributor to Ladybird Books in the 1960s and 1970s. As the artist of many of the "Well-Loved Tales" (606D) series, his titles featured strongly in the childhood's of many readers. He painted over a dozen fairy tales, including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington and his Cat, Rumpelstiltskin, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzl and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, amongst others.

Winter was born in Edmonton, Essex, on 15 May 1905, the son of John Ernest Winter, a sanitary inspector for the Lower Edmonton Urban District Council, and his wife Elizabeth Mary (nee Francis). Eric had two siblings, older brother Francis John and younger sister Irene Marion, all three of whom attended Latimer Public School. Eric became interested in art and attended Hornsey Art School, specialising in commercial and fine art and charcoal. He painted in watercolours and oils but preferred the former.

As a commercial artist, Winter designed the famous logo of the Abbey National Building Society of two people sheltering under a roof-shaped umbrella. The design was inspired by a house with an unusual four-sided roof opposite his studio in Broxboume. The silhouette became part of the company logo for over fifty years until the company undertook a major rebranding exercise in 2003.

Winter was an illustrator for Woman's Own and Woman, and a regular illustrator for Blackie & Sons in the years after the war. His illustrations for The Book of Jesus for Young People by Augustus Muir (1953) brought him to the attention of Chad Varah, who was writing "picture biographies" for the newly launched Swift comic, drawn by Patrick Williams. Winter took over the artwork during "The Story of Moses"'  in May 1955 and the at-first irregular series began appearing more regularly from July 1956, with Winter and Varah collaborating on the stories of St Francis, St Brigit, Vncent de Paul, St George and many others over the next three years.

Winter also illustrated an adaptation of 'Pilgrim's Progress' in 1957-58 and produced the final two episodes of 'The Story of Tom Brown's Schooldays' in 1959.

 

For seven years from 1953, Winter illustrated a variety of short stories and serials for Girl, amongst them 'Elinor's Secret Quest' by Lilias Edwards (1955), 'The Masked Ball' by Anne Wade (1955), 'The Admiral's Locket' by Frank Styles (1956), 'The Wraith of the Moors' by James Stagg (1956), 'Stranded in Spain' by Neil Rogers (1956), 'The Secret of Ravenscroft Hall' by J. A. Storrie (1956), 'Junior Model' by Frances Towers (1957), 'Model Girls' by Bob King (1957-58) and 'Jamaican Holiday' by Olive K. Griffiths (1959).

The Wee Web Ladybird website notes that Winter "is well known for a painting called the 'Spinning Jenny' which he was com­missioned to do, in oils, for the Wool Secretariat in London. Several of his water colours were hung in the Royal Academy of Arts. He was asked by the Chancery to give a certain painting of Colonel Bowing's Llang­ware House in Wales to the Nation, but he decided to present it to his wife as a wedding present instead. This painting is still cherished and has pride of place in his wife's home."

Eric Winter died in 1982 [not, as widely reported, 1981], in Haverfordwest, Wales, aged 77. He was survived by his wife—he married Joan L. C. Wilton in 1938—and their two children Erica and Anthony.

PUBLICATIONS

Illustrated Books
The Double Crescent by Monica Marsden. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1948.
Treasure Trail by Monica Marsden. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1949.
The Chartfield School Mystery by Monica Marsden. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1949.
Hilary's Difficult Term by Daphne Ramart. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1949.
The Secret of the Caves by Monica Marsden. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1949.
The School Library Mystery by Agnes Furlong. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1951.
The Island in the Lake by M. E. Mathews. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1951.
A School in Danger by Mabel Esther Allan. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1952.
Hilary Takes a Hand by Doreen Wyld. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1952.
Blue Tarn Mystery by James Jesse Shaw. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1953.
The Book of Jesus told for Young People by Augustus Muir, illus. with Eric Wade. London, Odhams Press, 1953.
The Jays of St. John's by Judith Carr. London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, 1956.
Campbell's Kingdom by Hammond Innes, abridged and simplified by Alan Ronaldson. London, Longmans, Green & Co., 1958.
The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham, abridged and simplified by G. C. Thornley. London, Longmans, 1959.
His Name was Jan by Kaare Westergaard. London, Salvationist Publishing & Supplies, 1961.
Cinderella retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1964.
Sleeping Beauty retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1965.
Jack and the Beanstalk retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1965.
Dick Whittington and his Cat retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1966.
A Second Ladybird Key Words Picture Dictionary and Spelling Book by Joseph MacNally. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1966.
Puss in Boots retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1967.
The Princess and the Pea retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1967.
Beauty and the Beast retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1968.
Rapunzel retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1968.
Rumpelstiltzkin retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1968.
Life in New Testament Times by Ralph R. Gower. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1968.
Snow White and Rose-Red retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1968.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1969.
The Story of Saint Paul by D. S. Hare. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1969.
The Story of Peter the Fisherman by D. S. Hare. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1970.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1971.
The History of the Bible by P. J. Hunt. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1971.
Knitting by Maureen & Michael Harvey. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1972.
Learning to Sew by Noreen Davis.  Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1972.
Little Red Riding Hood retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth (Ladybird Books), 1972.
Easy-to-Make Puppets by Alan & Brenda Stockwell. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1973.
More Things to Make for Special Occasions by Barbara Key. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1973.
Talkabout Home compiled by W. Murray. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1973.
Talkabout the Beach compiled by W. Murray. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1974.
Learning to Crochet by Wynne Broughton. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1975.
Talkabout the Park compiled by W. Murray. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1975.
Camping by David Harwood, illus. with Martin Aitchison. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1977.
Knots by Ronald A. Hinton.  Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1977.
Crochet by Wynne Broughton. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1977.
Sewing by Noreen Davis. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1977.
The Old Woman and Her Pig retold by Vera Southgate. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1977.
Brownie Guides by Nancy Scott, illus. with others. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1978.
Car Games by David Harwood. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1978.
My First Big Talkabout Book, illus. with others. Loughborough, Ladybird Books, 1978.
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Mario Capaldi - The Princess and the Frog (Ladybird, 1973)

 

 

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books)

Ron Embleton - The Story of Newspapers (Ladybird, 1969)

 

 

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books)

Kenneth Inns - The Story of Daniel (Ladybird, 1957)

 

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books)

Kenneth Inns

Kenneth Inns is a surprisingly elusive artist to track down. His name might be recognised by collectors of Ladybird Books, or or children's literature in general. A few of you may know him as an illustrators of magazines and there may even be a handful of readers who know that it was Inns who took over the artwork of "Carol Day" following the death of her creator, David Wright.

The earliest work I have been able to confirm dates from the 1930s, although you will notice that the first two books listed in the bibliography below date from 1929. I've bracketed these and added a question mark as I'm not convinced that Inns was the illustrator of the first editions of these books (which were indeed published in 1929). He may have been the illustrator of later printings of the books from the 1930s or 1940s.

At the same time as this period of book illustration, Inns also contributed to The Illustrated London News, The Wide World magazine and Every Boy's Annual. In 1953 he teamed up with Ladybird Books for the first title in a run of religious titles that covered various aspects of the life of Jesus and other biblical characters.

When David Wright died suddenly in 1967, Inns was drafted in to continue the strip and, although it is generally said that he could not match Wright's skill as an artist, he did keep the strip running for another four years as a daily and a further four months as a weekly.

What happened to Inns after 1971 I've no idea.

You can find some examples of his artwork for a later Ladybird book here. I'll post some artwork from his Story of Daniel tomorrow.

Illustrated Books
Rivals of the Reef by Percy F. Westerman.  London & Glasgow, Blackie & Son, [1929?].
Smuggler's Luck by Frank Charleston. London, Blackie & Son, [1929?].
Disgrace to the College by G. D. H. & Margaret Cole. London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1937.
Young Robin Brand, Detective by Freeman Wills Croft. London, University of London Press, 1947.
Bulldog Drummond Stands Fast by Gerard Fairlie. London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1947.
The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1953.
The Little Lord Jesus by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1954.
Moses, Prince and Shepherd by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1955.
The Story of Joseph by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1955.
The Child in the Temple by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1956.
Two Stories Jesus Told by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1956.
The Story of Daniel by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1957.
Jesus By the Sea of Galilee by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1958.
Jesus Calls His Disciples by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1959.
Naaman and the Little Maid by Lucy Diamond. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1959.
The Ladybird Words for Numbers series: Book 1 Understanding Numbers by J. McNally & W. Murray. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1966.
The Ladybird Words for Numbers series: Book 2 Words We Need for Numbers by J. McNally & W. Murray. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1966.
The Ladybird Words for Numbers series: Book 3 More Words for Numbers by J. McNally & W. Murray. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1966.
The Ladybird Words for Numbers series: Book 4 Everyday Words for Numbers by J. McNally & W. Murray. Loughborough, Wills & Hepworth [Ladybird Books], 1966; revised 1970.

Robert Ayton - The Story of Radio (Ladybird Books, 1968)

 

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books; the cover of my copy was badly torn, so I've performed a little cut-and-paste repair work. Not perfect, but certainly an improvement over the original, I promise.)

Robert Ayton - The Story of Printing (Ladybird Books, 1970)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books)

Robert Ayton - The Story of the Motor Car (Ladybird Books, 1962)

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books)

Robert Ayton - Arms and Armour (Ladybird, 1971)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(* © Ladybird Books)