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Posts Tagged ‘C. Walter Hodges’

Charles Keeping, Grendel from Beowulf

I am inching forwards in compiling a complete listing of all the illustrators of Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novels for children and adults, and of her writing for children (and others). I think this is now  accurate  – but does not yet cover book covers – but would as always welcome comments and improvements to the updated list. I think it may now be complete? But I need to move on to editions outside the UK. All help welcome.

Illustrators  are:  Lazlo Acs, Victor Ambrus, Michael Charlton, Emma Chichester Clark, Richard Cuffari, Shirley Felts, C Walter Hodges, Jane Johnson, Charles Keeping, Richard Kennedy, John Lawrence, Richard Lebenson, Alan Lee, John Vernon Lord,  Alan Marks,  and Ralph Thompson. The books they illustrated were: (more…)

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Good morning, and Happy Father’s Day , at least in the UK…

I have been sorting my shelves of books connected with historical novelist and children’s writer Rosemary Sutcliff –  from her research library, the collection of titles and books which I inherited from her, and those I have acquired since her death in my role as her literary executor. (It it must be done, for we are moving house.)

Adventure Stories for Ten Year Olds, chosen by Helen PaibaAdventure Stories for Ten Year Olds ( Macmillan Children’s Books, 2001) was ‘compiled’ by Helen Paiba, and illustrated by Douglas Carrel. According to the blurb, Helen Paiba was “known as one of the most committed, knowledgeable, and acclaimed children’s booksellers in Britain.” For “more than twenty years she owned and ran the Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London, which under her guidance gained a superb reputation for its range of children’s books and for the advice available for its customers.” In 1995 she was awarded the Eleanor Farjeon Award, given for distinguished service to the world of children’s books.The story from Rosemary is an extract from Brother Dusty Feet (Oxford University Press, 1952, pp  23-33). It begins  (more…)

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Charles Keeping illustration Rosemary Sutcliff book

By Charles Keeping

Rosemary Sutcliff’s books were  graced with the work of major British illustrators: Charles Keeping, Alan Lee, Victor Ambrus, C Walter Hodges, Richard Kennedy, Ralph Thompson, and Emma Chichester Clark. The books they, and others,  illustrated included:    (more…)

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Frontispiece Rosemay Sutcliff's The Eagle of the NinthC. Walter Hodges who illustrated some of Rosemary Sutcliff‘s early novels, including The Queen Elizabeth Story (1950), The Eagle of the Ninth  (1954), and The Shield Ring (1956) died in 2004. I recently came across  his obituary in The Independent newspaper. Some sections spoke in particular of his illustration work.

One of the outstanding author-illustrators of his time, C. Walter Hodges was also a leading scholar of the Shakespearean theatre. Hard-working to the point of perfectionism, he had a gentle demeanour and unfailingly sweet temper that brought him universal popularity in addition to well-earned professional respect. Illustrating over a hundred books while also writing a number of them himself, he played an important part in the general renaissance of children’s literature since 1945.  (more…)

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This is the cover of the 1965 Dutch version of Rosemary Sutcliff‘s acclaimed children’s novel The Eagle of the Ninth. Inside are the same beautiful illustrations by C. Walter Hodges that are evident in all the early editions of the novel. This particular illustration is of Marcus and his Legion, ‘The Fourth Gaulish Auxiliaries of the Second Legion’, breaking formation in their battle with a British tribe.

(Adaptation  of earlier post)

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A while back I noted that English illustrator Cyril Walter Hodges, known as C. Walter Hodges (1909-2004),  worked on Rosemary Sutcliff’s early books. Born in Beckenham and educated at Dulwich College and Goldsmiths’ College, he spent most of his career as a freelance illustrator. He wrote:

Rosemary Sutcliff I also liked very much. Her work was very good, though rather sweet, but that was because she was very crippled. As soon as I met her I realised where this romantic sweetness came from. . . . When illustrating her books one realised that one was responsible to her for what one was doing in her name. After I’d illustrated some Sutcliff novels, other artists like Charles Keeping illustrated her work and to my mind, did a much better job. I was very envious of Keeping—I thought he did marvellous drawings. I knew I could never do it like that!

Source:  Mathew Eve’s article  ‘C. Walter Hodges: A Life Illustrating History Children’s Literature’ in the journal Education (Vol. 35, No. 2, June 2004)

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Well, they don’t make’em like they used to. I love the smell of old books and the way the pages feel. This edition is especially interesting due to the striking illustration by C. Walter Hodges.

1st edition of The Eagle of the Ninth

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