W. Heath Robinson – part 15

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 15 of a 20 – part series on the works of W. Heath Robinson

1916 Peacock Pie by Walter de la Mare:

FRONT COVER

TITLE PAGE

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1916 The Moon's First Voyage ( unpublished )

1917 The First Aero Wedding

1917 The Saintly Hun 
( from Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries )

1921 Old-Time Stories by Master Charles Perrault:

Front Cover

End-paper

'They reached the house where the light was burning.'

Title Page

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD
'The king ... at once published an edict'

'A little dwarf who had a pair of seven-league boots'

 'They all fell asleep'

'The most beautiful sight he had ever seen.'

'All that remained for the youngest was the cat.'

PUSS IN BOOTS
'As though he were dead'

'Puss became a personage of great importance'

LITTLE TOM THUMB
'A good dame opened the door'

'He could smell fresh flesh'

'He set off over the countryside'

'Laden with all the ogre's wealth'

THE FAIRIES
'Lifting up the jug so that she might drink the more easily'

RICKY OF THE TUFT
'She could not set four china vases on the mantelpiece without breaking one of them'

Ricky of the Tuft

CINDERELLA
'The haughtiest, proudest woman that had ever been seen'

'Her godmother found her in tears'

'She rose and fled as nimbly as a fawn'

'They tried it first on the princesses'

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

'She met old Father Wolf'

'Making nosegays of the wild flowers'

'Come up on the bed with me'

BLUE BEARD
"You must die, madam,' he said."

Blue Beard

'She washed it well'

Sister Anne

'Brandishing the cutlass aloft'

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
'At first she found it very hard'

"Look at our little sister"

The Beast

"Every evening the beast paid her a visit."

"Your doom is to become statues"

THE FRIENDLY FROG
'The approach to it was by ten thousand steps'

"Could your father but see you, my poor child."

'The journey lasted seven years'

PRINCESS ROSETTE

The wicked nurse

'She was an ugly little fright'

'She floated hither and thither'

'A kindly old man'

End-paper

THE END