Overview

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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9781851244249

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Reviews

The term 'Heath Robinson' has passed into the English language to mean a hugely over-complicated, rickety contraption designed to do a very simple task in the most pointlessly elaborate way. . . . 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. --Military History Monthly The first Heath Robinson trademark illustrations of madcap, wildly complicated contraptions appeared in 1908. And, as Britain tumbled into the Great War, his whimsical wit was in even greater demand as an antidote to too much reality. During its bloody course, he published three books, which have been republished in this single charming and nostalgic volume. . . . The extraordinary thing is how free of rancor the cartoons are. . . . These are happy cartoons from an unhappy time. --Times (UK)

The first Heath Robinson trademark illustrations of madcap, wildly complicated contraptions appeared in 1908. And, as Britain tumbled into the Great War, his whimsical wit was in even greater demand as an antidote to too much reality. During its bloody course, he published three books, which have been republished in this single charming and nostalgic volume. . . . The extraordinary thing is how free of rancor the cartoons are. . . . These are happy cartoons from an unhappy time. -- Times (UK) The term 'Heath Robinson' has passed into the English language to mean a hugely over-complicated, rickety contraption designed to do a very simple task in the most pointlessly elaborate way. . . . 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. -- Military History Monthly

Author Information

William Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 13 September 1944) was an English cartoonist and illustrator best known for drawings of ridiculously complicated machines for achieving simple objectives.

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