W. Heath Robinson – part 9

William Heath Robinson (1872 – 1944) was an English illustrator and cartoonist, best known for his drawings of complicated machines for achieving simple objectives. “Heath Robinson Contraption” is a phrase that entered the language during WW1 in Britain, and later in the United States.

William wrote and illustrated three highly successful children’s books (The Adventures of Uncle Lubin 1902, Bill the Minder 1912, Peter Quip in Search of a Friend 1933) as well as illustrating numerous others.

In the run up to WW1, Robinson became known for a series of drawings in magazines such as The Sketch and The Tatler, many of which I will be featuring in this comprehensive look at his work.

This is part 9 of a 20 – part series on the works of W. Heath Robinson

1912 Bill the Minder (continued from parts 7 and 8 of this series):

Harmless Indeed Were Our Joys

I Pleaded my Case

And Killed It On The Spot

We Cooked a Great Steak

She Now Made Off to the Woods

He Would Climb to the Topmost Branches

And Played it For My Delight

Sweeping the Dead Leaves

With no Other Wealth Than My Concertina

Affected by His Story

Plump into the River We Went

Followed Him at the Greatest Speed

There Grew in Front of Me a Great Mound

Sneezing and Sneezing

Heading to 'The Merchant's Wife' 
pen and watercolour 20.3 x 23.5 cm

Bringing With Them a Little Old Man

Moping About the Common

Kept Him Out of Mischief

Glorious Tarts and Sweets

It Didn't Matter How Much You Ate

They Came Upon a Great Stone Sphinx

The Heads Served for Dolls

You Are Now Our Only Hope

I Fished and Fished

Closely Observed From the Watch Towers

These Parcels Were Now Labelled

And Packed Him Off to Persia

Troy Became the Happiest Town

The End