Harry Rountree - part 1

Harry Rountree (1878 – 1950) was a prolific illustrator, mainly for children. The son of a banker, Rountree was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He was educated at the city’s Queen’s College, and began work as a lithographer in a commercial studio, designing labels for jam jars and other products.

In 1901, aged 23, he migrated to London and studied under Percival Gaskell at the Regent Street Polytechnic. The style he evolved there developed fin-de-siècle elements for comic ends, and his use of blocks of flat colour surrounded by thick jagged lines was found suitable for both small-scale illustrations and for large posters.

He began to contribute to such periodicals as the Humorist, Playtime, and Punch. From 1903 he collaborated with the editor of Little Folks on a very successful series of books. Specialising in animals, he illustrated several classics of children’s literature, including Uncle Remus and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. During the First World War Rountree served as a Captain in the Royal Engineers. His late work included contributions to the Radio Times during the 1930s. A member of the Savage Club, a leading Bohemian Gentleman’s Club, and one-time President of the London Sketch Club, Rountree was late largely forgotten and died in relative poverty in St Ives, Cornwall in 1950.

This series of posts on Harry Rountree supercedes and replaces an earlier short post about him. This is part 1 of a 6 - part series on Harry Rountree. 

The first set of works shown here, from "The Art of the Illustrator" by Percy V. Bradshaw demonstrates Rountree's working method. "Tween Devil & Deep Sea":

Tween Devil and Deep Blue Sea 1

Tween Devil and Deep Blue Sea 2

Tween Devil and Deep Blue Sea 3

Tween Devil and Deep Blue Sea 4

Tween Devil and Deep Blue Sea 5

1903 The Animal Game Book

1903 The Animal Game Book

1903 The Animal Game Book

1904c Tiger and Snake 25.4 x 19.7 cm

1905 Archibald's Amazing Adventure
hardback cover, published by Cassell & Company

1905c "The Little Robinson Crusoes" published by Nelson, London
front cover

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
back cover

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
"Nearing the island"

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
"Our first night ashore"

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
"The storm"

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
"Gathering fruit"

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
"A morning gallop"

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
"No sign of a ship"

1905c The Little Robinson Crusoes
"Our house in the tree"

1906 Uncle Remus published by Nelson
("Rountree" is misspelled)

1906 Uncle Remus

1906 Uncle Remus

1906 Uncle Remus

1906 Uncle Remus

1906 Uncle Remus

1906 Uncle Remus

1906 Uncle Remus

1906 Uncle Remus

1907 Little Folks hard cover

1907c Billy Bunce or the Wanderings of a White Rabbit
hard cover

1907c Billy Bunce or the Wanderings of a White Rabbit

1907c Billy Bunce or the Wanderings of a White Rabbit

1907c Billy Bunce or the Wanderings of a White Rabbit

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland published by Nelson
hardback cover

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
(This hardback cover from a 1932 French  edition)

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
"A curious game of croquet"

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

1908 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
"The Mouse gave a sudden leap"

1908 Children's Book illustration

1908 Children's Book illustration

1908 Children's Book illustration "The Broken Doll"

1909 Children's Book illustration