 Figure 1.--Harold Copping illustrated many school stories. This illustration is from the boys of Wynport Collefe. Image courtesy of the AM collection. |
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Harold Copping was a prolific illustrator who worked on a wide range of subjects, but is best known for his religious and school illustrations. He was born in England during 1863. He recerived his art training at the Royal Academy School and was able to study in Paris on a Landseer Scholarship. He was perhaps the most popular English illustrator of the late Victorian and Edwardian era. Some of his best known works include illustrations for Hammond's Hard Lines (1894), Miss Bobbie (1897), Millionaire (1898), A Queen Among Girls (1900), Pilgrim's Progress (1903), Westward Ho! (1903), Grace Abounding (1905), Three School Chums (1907), Children's Stories from Dickens (1911), Little Women (1912), Good Wives (1913), A Christmas Carol (1920) and Character Sketches from Boz (1924). Many associate Copping with religious illustrations. Having obtained a commissioned to produce illustrations for the Bible he decided to visit Palestine, at the time a part of the Ottoman Empire. The resulting work, The Copping Bible (1910), was extremely successful, proving to be a best-seller and more Bible commissions followed. These illustration were extremely influential and in alrge measure craeted the visual images in the minds of several generations of American and Brtish children. Copping also did illustrations for many magazines, including The Leisure Hour, Little Folks, Pearson's Magazine, The Royal Magazine, The Temple Magazine, and the Windsor Magazine. One of his illustrations from Little Folks is pictured here (figure 1). He illustrated many children's books and is especially well known for his drawings books set in English schools at the time.
Harold Copping was born in England during 1863.
He recerived his art training at the Royal Academy School and was able to study in Paris on a Landseer Scholarship.
He was perhaps the most popular English illustrator of the late Victorian and Edwardian era. Some of his best known works include illustrations for Hammond's Hard Lines (1894), Miss Bobbie (1897), Millionaire (1898), A Queen Among Girls (1900), Pilgrim's Progress (1903), Westward Ho! (1903), Grace Abounding (1905), Three School Chums (1907), Children's Stories from Dickens (1911), Little Women (1912), Good Wives (1913), A Christmas Carol (1920) and Character Sketches from Boz (1924). Copping of course also illustrated numerous school stories, includings Boys' of Priory School (19??) and Boys of Wynport School (1922).
Many associate Copping with religious illustrations. Having obtained a commissioned to produce illustrations for the Bible he decided to visit Palestine, at the time a part of the Ottoman Empire. The resulting work, The Copping Bible (1910), was extremely successful, proving to be a best-seller and more Bible commissions followed. These illustration were extremely influential and in alrge measure craeted the visual images in the minds of several generations of American and Brtish children.
Copping also did illustrations for many magazines, including The Leisure Hour, Little Folks, Pearson's Magazine, The Royal Magazine, The Temple Magazine, and the Windsor Magazine. One of his illustrations from Little Folks is pictured here (figure 1).
Copping illustrated many children's books and is especially well known for his drawings books set in English schools at the time. Copping and H.M. Brock are probably the most popular artists illustrating these school stories, an important English genre.
Copping illustrations provide fascinating insights into school wear, at least the uniforms worn at Britain's public (actually exclclusive private) schools. The boys are shown as wearing school caps and Eton suits with knickers or long pants. Senior boys wear more adult looking suits. There are many other interesting insights in Copping's drawings. Most public schools were boarding schools located in rural sites providing extensive grounds for games (sports) and other activities. One illustration from The oys of Wynport College (1922) shows the public school boys with local boys, presumably the sons of agricultural laborers, wearing smocks. I am not sure just what year the book was set in, surely this was not the way boys in rural areas dressed in 1922, but such smocks were apparently common in the 19th century.
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