Search results for ""Author W. Heath Robinson""

From the Eastern folk tales that make up the vast collection known as THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS certain stories - of Aladdin, Sindbad and Ali Baba - have become everlasting favourites with children and a magical ingredient of Christmas pantomine. First introduced to Europe in the early eighteenth century by the French orientalist, Antione Galland, who translated and bowdlerized the stories to suit contemporary taste, this edition presents the fourteen best-known tales selected from an English text of 1821. The illustrations are reproduced from a larger collection in 1899. William Heath Robinson then at the start of his career, was commissioned with four others and his drawings (much the best) reveal a gentle, romantic charm that has been forgotten in the success of his later, purely comic work.

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W. Heath Robinson is best known for his hilarious drawings of zany contraptions, though his work ranged across a wide variety of topics covering many aspects of British life in the decades following the First World War. Starting out as a watercolour artist, he quickly turned to the more lucrative field of book illustration and developed his forte in satirical drawings and cartoons. He was regularly commissioned by the editors of Tatler and The Sketch and in great demand from advertising companies. Collections of his drawings were subsequently published in many different editions and became so successful as to transform Heath Robinson into a household name, celebrated for his eccentric brand of British humour. Heath Robinson drew many cartoons lampooning the excesses of the First World War and poking fun at the German army, bringing welcome comic relief to British soldiers and civilians. This book presents his complete First World War satire, from ridiculous weapons such as ‘Button Magnets’ to aeronautical antics and a demonstration of how to have a ‘Quiet Cup of Tea at the Front.’

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Ever wondered how to make a garden attractive in December? Or what to do with that corner by the dustbin? Answers to these questions can be found in this compact and charming book of tips for the green-fingered, accompanied by Heath Robinson’s highly inventive and humorous cartoons. First published in 1938, the book gives an insight into gardening trends on the eve of the Second World War while also addressing common concerns faced by gardeners. It features many typically elaborate contraptions such as the Combined Telescopic Spaderake for digging and raking at the same time, the Inebriate Roller for making wobbly garden paths and the Osoeezi Slugsticker. While some are patently ridiculous – a lawn is de-thistled and resown with the help of a barrel of grass seed strapped onto a small donkey – others are before their time, such as a special pump that can divert your bathwater into your garden hose, a contraption that is not wildly dissimilar to gadgets on the market today. Finally, the growing of vegetables inspires some sage advice: ‘with the right kind of upbringing, a marrow will attain astonishing dimensions, and can be used for boasting purposes.’ Poking gentle fun at a British obsession with a detailed illustration on almost every page, this book will delight both aspiring and experienced gardeners alike.

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How does one play bridge in a gas mask? Or enjoy motoring without consuming petrol? Or deal with a nationwide shortage of pea-sticks? For this compact little book Heath Robinson joined forces with writer Cecil Hunt to show civilians ‘how to make the best of things’ during the air raids, rationing, allotment tending and blackouts of the Second World War. The result is a warm celebration of the British population’s ability to ‘make do and mend’.

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W. Heath Robinson is best known for his hilarious drawings of zany contraptions, though his work ranged across a wide variety of topics covering many aspects of British life in the decades following the First World War. Starting out as a watercolour artist, he quickly turned to the more lucrative field of book illustration and developed his forte in satirical drawings and cartoons. He was regularly commissioned by the editors of Tatler and The Sketch and in great demand from advertising companies. Collections of his drawings were subsequently published in many different editions and became so successful as to transform Heath Robinson into a household name, celebrated for his eccentric brand of British humour. Presenting such innovations as the ‘Zip-Opening Bonnet’, the ‘Duo-car for the Incompatible’ and the handy ‘New Rear Wheel Gear for Turning the Car in One Movement’, this volume of Heath Robinson illustrations with commentary by K.R.G. Browne will appeal to ‘everybody who is ever likely to drive, be driven in, or get run over by a mechanically propelled vehicle’.

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This book collects 17 of Andersen's incomparable stories, among them The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Pea, The Red Shoes; The wild Swans and his fantasy masterpiece, The Snow Queen. The book is illustrated in full colour by W. Heath Robinson. This volume is presented in exquisitely designed foil-stamped binding, with distinctive gilt edging and an attractive silk-ribbon bookmark.

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Soldiers disguised as a herd of cows, cork bath mats for troops crossing streams and a tank with a piano attachment for camp concerts are just some of the absurd inventions to be found in this book of cartoons designed to keep spirits up during the Second World War. These intricate comic drawings poke gentle fun at both the instruments of war and the indignity of the air-raid shelter in Heath Robinson’s inimitable style.

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What makes a perfect husband? In this tongue-in-cheek guide, illustrated by Heath Robinson’s inimitable cartoons and contraptions, there are many charmingly old-fashioned tips for how to succeed in almost all aspects of married life. First published in 1937, this delightful book gives an insight into how the roles of both wife and husband were viewed at the time and pokes gentle fun at them both. The perfect husband presses his own trousers; he can tend the lawn and entertain the baby simultaneously by means of two simple attachments to the garden roller; he can peel onions behind his back, with the help of a mirror, and thus avoid tears; he can make a vacuum cleaner and he even has a device to help him climb the stairs silently after a late night out with the boys. When offered the choice of a glass of milk or a Manhattan, he will choose the former. With chapters on courtship and proposal, the wedding, early married life, bringing up children, sports and hobbies, domestic difficulties and middle age, this book makes a highly amusing gift for those who are considering tying the knot or wish to celebrate wedded bliss.

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