Illustration Artists Gallery header image

Dorothy Wheeler: “The Fairy Swing” Watercolour, 1920, British Fairy Postcard Artwork

DOROTHY WHEELER
“The Fairy Swing” British Postcard Art
Bamforth & Co., Ltd, Holmfirth, England 1920s
Watercolor and Ink on Illustration Board.
Signed by artist, bottom left
Drawing area: 4.5” x 6.5”
Provenance: Jo Ann Reisler, Ltd., Acquired 2002

$1,750


ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY
Dorothy Muriel Wheeler (1891–1966) was born in Great Britain in 1891. She studied at the Blackheath School of Art, where her principal mediums were watercolor and ink. She designed children’s book illustrations, postcards and comic strips.

A series of her works were used by Bamforth & Co Ltd, a publisher of fine postcards, for their Woodland Secrets and Fairy Series collections of cards, published around 1920.Her illustrations appeared in Enid Blyton’s widely published children’s books. They also appeared in books by Anne MacDonald. She published her own version of the Three Little Pigs in 1955. Her final work appeared in 1965, illustrations for Enid Blyton’s The Ring O’Bells Mystery.





















Children’s Books Illustrated by Dorothy M. Wheeler
• The Enchanted Wood, first published in 1939 by George Newness
• The Little Tree-House, first published in 1939 by George Newness
• The Further Adventures of Josie, Click and Bun, published in 1941 by George Newness
• The Adventures of Mr. Pink-Whistle, first published in 1941 by George Newness
• Five o’Clock Tales, first published in 1942 by Methuen
• Mr. Tumpy and His Caravan, first published in 1949 by Sidgwick & Jackson
• Mr. Pink-Whistle Interferes, first published in 1950 by George Newness
• Up the Faraway Tree, first published in 1951 by George Newness
• Welcome, Josie, Click and Bun!, first published in 1952 by George Newness
• Mr. Tumpy in the Land of Boys and Girls, first published in 1953 by Sampson Low
• Mr. Pink-Whistle’s Big Book, first published in 1958 by Evans Brothers
• The Ring O’Bells Mystery, first published in 1965
• English Nursery Rhymes by Lavinia Edna Walter, first published in 1916
• Through the Green Door by Anne MacDonald, first published in 1924
• A Pocketful of Silver by Anne Macdonald, first published in 1927
• The Three Little Pigs by Dorothy M. Wheeler, first published in 1951

HONOR CHARLOTTE APPLETON
“Downdilly descends with the mix, to the land of the Still Folk”
Duckworth & Company, Great Britain, 1912
Watercolour, Pencil and Ink on Drawing Paper.
Signed and dated by artist lower left
Drawing area: 6.5” x 9.5”
Provenance: Jo Ann Reisler, Ltd., Acquired 2002

$2,500
Other artwork available by Honor Charlotte Appleton.

Honor Charlotte Appleton (1879 – 1951) was a British children’s book illustrator born in Brighton, England. She is best known for the “Josephine” series of books published in England by Blackie and Son from 1916 through the 1930s.

She started her art studies at the Kensington Schools and then attended Frank Calderon’s School of Animal Painting and finally the Royal Academy of Arts at the start of the 20th Century. Whilst at the RA she illustrated ‘The Bad Mrs Ginger’, starting a book illustration career in which she would illustrate over 150 books.

Honor Appleton developed a very delicate watercolour style that captured the innocent world of children, their adventures and life. She was influenced by illustrators such as Kate Greenaway and Annie French and other illustrators of the period. Her watercolours were exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Cicely Mary Barker Flower Fairy Artist


CICELY MARY BARKER
“Blake’s Easy Story Book” 1924
British Children’s Book Cover painting from the Downton Abbey Era.
Watercolour, pencil, ink, on watercolour paper, Hand lettered.
9.5” x 12.5”
Signed by the artist, lower left
Publisher: Blackie and Son, London
Provenance: Chris Beetle Gallery, London, Purchased 1997

$3,700




ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY
Cicely Mary Barker (1895 – 1973) was an English illustrator known for creating the FLOWER FAIRIES series of illustrations that appear on cards and posters along with the Flower Fairy book series. Though she published Flower Fairy books with spring, summer, and autumn themes, it wasn’t until 1985 that a winter collection was assembled from her remaining work and published posthumously.

Her earliest professional work included greeting cards and juvenile magazine illustrations. Her first book, Flower Fairies of the Spring, was published in 1923.

Barker was equally proficient in watercolour, pen and ink, oils, and pastels. Kate Greenaway and the Pre-Raphaelites were the principal influences on her work.

In 1908 at 13 years, she entered an evening class at the Croydon School of Art, and attended the school into the 1940s. In time, she received a teaching position. In 1911, Raphael Tuck & Sons bought four of Barker’s “little drawings” for half a sovereign and published them as postcards.

Fairies became a popular theme in art and literature in the early 20th century following the releases of The Coming of the Fairies by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and the fairy-themed work of Australian Ida Rentoul Outhwaite. Queen Mary made such themes even more popular by sending Outhwaite postcards to friends during the 1920s. In 1918, Barker produced a postcard series depicting elves and fairies.

In 1923, Barker sent her flower fairy paintings to various publishers. Blackie paid £25 for 24 paintings with accompanying verses, but it wasn’t until publication of Flower Fairies of the Summer in 1925 that Barker received royalties for her work.

Barker worked principally in watercolor with pen-and-ink, but she was equally competent in black-and-white, in oils, and in pastels. She carried a sketchbook with her for capturing interesting children. She once indicated, “I have always tried to paint instinctively in a way that comes naturally to me, without any real thought or attention to artistic theories.

The Pre-Raphaelites were a strong, lifelong influence on Barker. She once indicated, “I am to some extent influenced by them—not in any technical sense, but in the choice of subject matter and the feeling and atmosphere they could achieve.” She admitted a fondness for the early paintings of John Everett Millais and “the wonderful things” of Edward Burne-Jones.


MJ DAVIS
“Our Kiddies’ Tip-Top Annual” circa 1920s – 1930s
British Children’s Book Cover painting from the Downton Abbey Era.
Cover painting in watercolour and ink, Hand lettered on illustration board
7.25” x 10.25”
Signed by the artist, lower right
Publisher: Renwick of Otley, England
$1,400

In time for Christmas, a delightful children’s Christmas illustration from England for the classic children’s book series from Renwick of Otley.

Honor Appleton Children's Book Cover Art

HONOR CHARLOTTE APPLETON
“Josephine’s Pantomime”
Black and Son, London, 1939
British Children’s Book Cover painting from the Downton Abbey Era.
Watercolour, Pencil and Ink with hand-lettering on 1 ply bristol board.
Live Artwork Area: 9.25” x 12.5”
Provenance: Chris Beetles Gallery, London., Acquired 1998

$4,500.
Other artwork available by Honor Charlotte Appleton.

Honor Charlotte Appleton (1879 – 1951) was a British children’s book illustrator born in Brighton, England. She is best known for the “Josephine” series of books published in England by Blackie and Son from 1916 through the 1930s.

She started her art studies at the Kensington Schools and then attended Frank Calderon’s School of Animal Painting and finally the Royal Academy of Arts at the start of the 20th Century. Whilst at the RA she illustrated ‘The Bad Mrs Ginger’, starting a book illustration career in which she would illustrate over 150 books.

Honor Appleton developed a very delicate watercolour style that captured the innocent world of children, their adventures and life. She was influenced by illustrators such as Kate Greenaway and Annie French and other illustrators of the period. Her watercolours were exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Doll cutout book artwork Busy Betty England

Book Cover Watercolour Painting, c 1950s

Busy Betty, A Doll Dressing Book
Watercolour and Ink on Watercolour Paper
13.25” x10”
Publisher: B.B. Ltd., England
The 10 page Doll Cutout Book is included with the sale of the painting.

$750


British Illustration Children's Book Dolls

Doll Cutout Book England 1948