Edward Ardizzone


Edward Jeffrey Irving Ardizzone,, who sometimes signed his work "DIZ", was a British painter, printmaker and war artist, and the author and illustrator of books, many of them for children. For Tim All Alone, which he wrote and illustrated, Ardizzone won the inaugural Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association for the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal in 2005, the book was named one of the top ten winning titles, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for public election of an all-time favourite.
WWW edwardardizzone.org.uk

Early life

Ardizzone's father, Auguste Ardizzone, was a naturalised Frenchman of Italian descent, who was born a Pied-Noir in French Algeria, then a colony of France, and worked on overseas government service elsewhere in the French colonial empire. Ardizzone's mother, Margaret, was English. Her father, Edward Alexander Irving, was assistant colonial secretary of the Straits Settlements, in what is now known as Singapore, as well as the Malaysian states of Penang and Malacca. Edward Ardizzone was born in the port city of Haiphong, Tonkin, in the north of French Indo-China, a city now in Vietnam, while his father was working for the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company.
In 1905, Margaret Ardizzone returned to England with her three eldest children. They were brought up in Suffolk, largely by their maternal grandmother, while Margaret returned to join her husband in the Far East. The Ardizzone family lived in Corder Road, Ipswich, between 1905 and 1910, and then in Gainsborough Road from 1911 to 1912. Ardizzone was educated first at Ipswich School and then, from 1912, at Clayesmore School, a boarding school in Dorset. At Clayesmore, his interest in drawing was encouraged by an art teacher.

Early career

Ardizzone left school in 1918 and twice tried to enlist in the British Army but was refused. After spending six months at a commerce college in Bath, Ardizzone spent several years working as an office clerk in both Warminster and London, where he began taking evening classes at the Westminster School of Art, which were taught by Bernard Meninsky. In 1922, Ardizzone became a naturalised British citizen. While working as an office clerk, Ardizzone had spent his weekends and free time painting and in 1926, with financial support from his father, gave up his office job to concentrate on establishing himself as a professional, freelance artist.
Ardizzone's first major commission was to illustrate an edition of In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu in 1929. He also produced advertising material for Johnnie Walker whisky, and illustrations for both Punch and The Radio Times, including the 1937 and 1948 Christmas covers of the latter. The first book by Ardizzone listed by the US Library of Congress is The Mediterranean: An Anthology, compiled by Paul Bloomfield, "decorated by Edward Ardizzone" with "each chapter preceded by illustrated half-title". In 1936, he inaugurated his best-known work, the Tim series of books, featuring the maritime adventures of its eponymous young hero, which he both wrote and illustrated. Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain was published by Oxford University Press in both London and New York that year. In 1939, he illustrated the first of a series of four Mimff children's books by H.J.Kaesar.
By 1939 Ardizzone was regularly holding one-man exhibitions at the Bloomsbury Gallery and, later, the Leger Gallery. At this time the major theme of his paintings was life in London, with affectionate illustrations of the pubs and parks near his home in Maida Vale. His style was naturalistic but subdued, featuring gentle lines and delicate watercolours, with great attention to particular details.

Second World War

In the Second World War, after a short spell serving in an anti-aircraft unit, Ardizzone was assigned to the War Office by the War Artists' Advisory Committee and posted overseas as a full-time official war artist. He first served with the British Expeditionary Force and depicted its retreat through France and Belgium before he was evacuated back to Britain from Boulogne in May 1940. In Britain, he recorded troops at their training camps and spent nights sketching in the London Underground, where tube tunnels were being used as air-raid shelters during the Blitz. Ardizzone spent the early part of 1941 travelling around Scotland. In January 1942, he recorded the arrival of American troops in Northern Ireland. In March of that year, he went to Cairo and joined the British First Army on its march to Tunisia, and then joined the Eighth Army. By July 1943, Ardizzone was in Sicily, where he witnessed combat at close quarters, and unusually for him, painted the aftermath of the fighting. He travelled on through Italy with the Eighth Army until April 1944, when he flew to Algiers, from where he sailed back to Britain. In June 1944, he went to France during the Allied invasion, but by September 1944 was back in Italy. He again travelled widely there and witnessed the fall of Reggio Calabria and Naples. He spent the winter of 1944 in Italy before travelling to Germany for the final months of the War. By the time Ardizzone returned to England in May 1945 he had completed almost 400 sketches and watercolours of the War, most of which, along with his wartime diaries, are held at the Imperial War Museum. His early experiences between Arras and Boulogne are illustrated and described in his book Baggage to the Enemy, while Diary of a War Artist, published in 1974, described his later experiences during the conflict.

Post-war career

After the War, Ardizzone resumed his freelance career and received commissions from The Strand Magazine for cover artwork, from the Ealing film studios for promotional material and from the Guinness company for adverts. Ardizzone was commissioned to produce a watercolour portrait of Winston Churchill and continued to write and illustrate books. The most famous Tim book is the inaugural Greenaway Medal-winner, Tim All Alone. The series continued until 1972 with Tim's Last Voyage which was followed in 1977 by Ship's Cook Ginger.
Besides writing and illustrating his own books, Ardizzone also illustrated books written by others, including some editions of Anthony Trollope and H. E. Bates's My Uncle Silas. He illustrated the C. Day Lewis children's novel, The Otterbury Incident. One of his happiest collaborations was that with Eleanor Farjeon, especially on The Little Bookroom. Ardizzone illustrated some novels by the American author Eleanor Estes, including Pinky Pye, The Witch Family, The Alley, Miranda the Great, and The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode. In 1962, he illustrated an edition of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, retold by Eleanor Graham, and A Ring of Bells, John Betjeman's abridged version for children of his autobiographical poem Summoned by Bells.
For illustrating Titus in Trouble, written by James Reeves, Ardizzone was a commended runner-up for the 1959 Greenaway Medal. Ardizzone is particularly noted for having not just illustrated the covers and contents of books, but inked in the title text and author's name in his own hand, giving the books a distinctive look on shelves. An example is Clive King's Stig of the Dump from 1963. The Nurse Matilda series of children's books was written by his cousin Christianna Brand, who was seven years younger. Their shared grandmother had told the stories to both cousins and she had learned them from her father.
Early in the 1970s, Ardizzone illustrated a new edition of the 20-year-old Little books by Graham Greene: The Little Train, The Little Fire Engine, The Little Horse Bus, and The Little Steamroller. He also illustrated a re-telling of the Don Quixote story for children by James Reeves and his illustrations for The Land of Green Ginger by Noel Langley are regarded as classics in their own right. His 1970 autobiography, The Young Ardizzone - an autobiographical fragment, was illustrated with his own drawings.
Ardizzone also illustrated several telegrams for the Post Office in the 1950s and 1960s, many of which are considered collector's items. He also held a number of teaching posts, working part-time as an instructor in graphic design at Camberwell School of Art and as a visiting tutor at the Royal College of Art. In 1960 he retired from his teaching posts and began spending more time at Rodmersham Green in Kent before moving there permanently in 1972. In 1929, Ardizzone married Catherine Josephine Berkley Anderson, and the couple had two sons and a daughter. Ardizzone died of a heart attack in 1979 at his home in Rodmersham Green. After Catherine's death in 1992, the British government accepted 64 of Ardizzone's sketchbooks in lieu of inheritance tax, and these are now held by the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The British Library published an illustrated bibliography of his works in 2003. A blue plaque unveiled in 2007 commemorates Ardizzone's home at 130 Elgin Avenue in Maida Vale.

Selected works

Books written and illustrated by Ardizzone

Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain Lucy Brown and Mr Grimes Tim and Lucy Go to Sea Baggage to the Enemy Nicholas and the Fast-Moving Diesel Paul, the Hero of the Fire Tim to the Rescue Tim and Charlotte Tim in Danger Tim All Alone - Kate Greenaway Medal winner, 1956Johnny the Clockmaker Tim's Friend Towser Peter the Wanderer Diana and her Rhinoceros Tim and Ginger Sarah and Simon and No Red Paint The Little Girl and the Tiny Doll Tim to the Lighthouse The Young Ardizzone - An Autobiographical Fragment The Wrong Side of the Bed Johnny's Bad Day Tim's Last Voyage The Old Ballad of the Babes in the Wood Diary of a War Artist Ship's Cook Ginger
  • ''Indian Diary 1952-53''

Books by others, illustrated by Ardizzone

In a Glass Darkly,, by Sheridan Le FanuThe Library,, by George CrabbeA Mediterranean Anthology,, by Paul BloomfieldTom, Dick, and Harriet,, by Neil LyonsMy Uncle Silas,, by H E BatesThe Local,, by Maurice GorhamGreat Expectations,, by Charles DickensMimff,, by H. J. KaeserThe Battle of France,, by Andre Maurois, translated by F.R. LudmanThe Road to Bordeaux,, by Dennis Freeman and Douglas CooperPeacock Pie: A Book of Rhymes,, by Walter de la MarePoems of François Villon,, translated by H. B. McCaskieThe Pilgrim's Progress,, by John BunyanHey Nonny Yes: passons and conceits from Shakespeare,, by Hallam FordhamThree Brothers and a Lady,, by Margaret BlackDesbarollda, The Waltzing Mouse,, by Noel LangleyCharles Dickens' Birthday Book,, by Enid Dickens-HawksleyThe Otterbury Incident,, by Cecil Day-LewisJubilee Book,, by Leonard DanielsBack to the Local,, by Maurice GorhamMimff in Charge, by H.J.KaeserShowmen and Suckers,, by Maurice GorhamLondoners,, by Maurice GorhamThe Blackbird in the Lilac,, by James ReevesThe Warden,, by Anthony TrollopeBarchester Towers,, by Anthony TrollopeMimff Takes Over,, by H.J.KaeserThe Newcomes,, by William Thackeray, edited by Arthur Pendennis, introduction by Angela ThirkellThe Fantastic Tale of the Plucky Sailor and the Postage Stamp,, by Stephen CorrinDavid Copperfield,, by Charles DickensBleak House,, by Charles DickensThe Little Bookroom,, by Eleanor FarjeonThe Suburban Child,, by James KenwardPictures on the Pavement,, by George Walter StonierMinnow on the Say,, by Philippa PearceSun Slower Sun Faster, by Meriol TrevorA Stickful of Nonpareil,, by George ScurfieldHunting with Mr. Jorrooks from Handley Cross,, by Robert Smith SurteesPigeons and Princesses,, by James ReevesThe Wandering Moon,, by James ReevesHenry Esmond,, by William Makepeace ThackeraySt. Luke's Gospel, Ding Dong Bell,, by Percy YoungLottie,, by John SymondsPrefabulous Animiles,, by James ReevesSugar for the Horse,, by H. E. BatesThe School in Our Village,, by Joan GoldmanPinky Pye,, by Eleanor EstesJim at the Corner,, by Eleanor FarjeonThe Story of Joseph,, by Walter de la MareMimff Robinson,, by H.J.KaeserShakespeare's Comedies, Brief to Counsel,, by Henry CecilHoliday Trench,, by Joan BallantyneThe Godstone and the Blackymor,, by Terence Hanbury WhiteTitus in Trouble,, by James ReevesThe Adventures of Don Quixote,, retold by James ReevesElfrida and the Pig,, by John SymondsThe Nine Lives of Island MacKenzie,, by Ursula Moray-WilliamsThe Story of Moses,, by Walter de la MareThe Adventures of Father Brown,, by G. K. ChestertonThe Rib of the Green Umbrella,, by Naomi MitchisonBoyhood of the Great Composers,, by Catherine GoughThe Story of Samuel and Saul,, by Walter de la MareStories from the Bible,, by Walter de la MareKidnappers at Coombe,, by Joan BallantyneItalian Peepshow,, by Eleanor FarjeonA Penny Fiddle,, by Robert GravesThe Witch Family,, by Eleanor EstesMerry England,, by Cyril RayTom Sawyer,, by Mark TwainHuckleberry Finn,, by Mark TwainDown in the Cellar,, Nicholas Stuart GreyFolk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales,, by William ColeSailor Rumblelow and Britannia,, by James ReevesMrs. Malone,, by Eleanor FarjeonLet's Make an Opera,, by Eric CrozierPeter Pan,, retold by Eleanor GrahamThe Singing Cupboard,, by Dana FarallaA Ring of Bells,, by John BetjemanNaughty Children: An Anthology,, compiled by Christianna BrandKaleidoscope,, by Eleanor FarjeonBoyhood of the Great Composers Book II,, by Catherine GoughHurdy Gurdy,, by James ReevesWine List Decorations,, by John Harvey & Sons, further illustrations by David Gentleman, Asgeir Scott and Shelia WatersJ. M. Barrie's Peter Pan: the story of the Play,, by Eleanor GrahamStig of the Dump,, by Clive KingNurse Matilda,, by Christianna BrandHello Elephant,, by Jan WahlSwanhilda-of-the-Swans,, by Dana FarallaThirty-Nine Steps,, by John BuchanThe Land of Up and Down,, by Eva-Lis WuorioThree Tall Tales,, by James ReevesThe Island of Fish in the Trees,, by Eva-Lis WuorioAnn at Highwood Hall: Poems for Children,, by Robert GravesThe Alley,, by Eleanor EstesOld Perisher,, by Diana RossTimothy's Song,, by William J LedererThe Truants,, by John WalshThe Year Round,, by Leonard ClarkThe Milldale Riot,, by Freda NichollsKnow About the Law,, by Henry CecilThe Old Nurse's Stocking Basket,, by Eleanor FarjeonThe Story of Jackie Thimble,, by James ReevesThe Land of Green Ginger,, by Noel LangleyThe Dragon,, by Archibald MarshallThe Muffletumps,, by Jan WahlLong Ago When I was Young,, by E. NesbitThe Eleanor Farjeon book: a tribute to her life and work 1881-1965,, introduction by Naomi LewisThe Growing Summer,, by Noel StreatfeildThe Secret Shoemakers,, by James ReevesA Likely Place,, by Paula FoxDaddy Long Legs,, by Jean WebsterA Group of Apostles,, by Paul ClaudelThe Stuffed Dog,, by John SymondsKali and the Golden Mirror, by Eva-Lis WuorioNurse Matilda Goes to Town,, by Christianna BrandRobinson Crusoe,, by Daniel DefoeMiranda the Great,, by Eleanor EstesRhyming Will,, by James ReevesUpsidedown Willie,, by Dorothy ClewesThe Magic Summer,, by Noel StreatfeildTravels with a Donkey,, by R. L. StevensonSpecial Branch Willie,, by Dorothy ClewesDo You Remember What Happened?,, by Jean ChapmanThe Angel and the Donkey,, by James ReevesFire Brigade Willie,, by Dorothy Clewes

Awards and honours