** artists illustrating boys fashions: Harry Booker








Artists Illustrating Boys' Fashions: Harry Booker (1848-1940 )



Figure 1.--Harry Booker was primarily a Victorian artist, although he lived far beyond the Victorian era into World War II. Brooker was a 'genre painter' and left us a wonderful record of domestic scenes, many show children playing. He began painting in the mid-1870s. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and other London and provincial exhibitions. His impressive output for some reason tapered off after the turn of the 20th century. He produced more than 120 paintings. Here boys are engaged in war game--the kangaroo court' painted in 1891. That seems likr rather an advanced concept for boys this age. I played war games as a boy, but none of these got eo such sopohisticated concepts.

Harry Booker was primarily a Victorian artist, although he lived far beyond the Victorian era into World War II. Harry was born near Regents Park in London (1848). He was from an artistic family. His uncle Charles Hunt also painted. We know nothing about his chilhood or training. Brooker was a 'genre painter' and left us awonderful record of domestic scenes, many show children playing. He began painting in the mid-1870s. Most of his paintings were done in the 1889s and 90s. We are nit sur about the children he painted. They do not seem ti be working-class. Nor do they seem to be grom really well-todo families. Se do see many sailor suits and no Fauntleroy suits at all. Abd few boys wear Eton collars--avety popular style at the time. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and other London and provincial exhibitions. His impressive output for some reason tapered off after the turn of the 20th century. He produced more than 120 paintings. They included portraits and still life images. They can be found private collections and public galleries all over Europe, His works made up a wonderful record, along with the work of Thomas Webster and F.D. Hardy -- members of the Cranbrook Colony. His paintingsinclude may interior scenes capturing the warmth and humour of late-Victorian domestic life. Above all, Booker's work is known charming depictions of children involved in play and other domestic pursuits. The image here is an example of his work, although the idea of a kangaroo court seems rather an advanced idea for boys this age (figure 1). We see many images of standard English games and play activitiess, such as blind man's buff. Booker married Edmee Isabel Short, together they had six children. After marrying, they moved to Southport, touring Wales as a private art tutor and exhibiting three works at the Royal Manchester Institution. They eventuallynmoved back to London where he exhibited at the Royal Academy and at the Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street. Booker lived in London until suffering a stroke during the Blitz (September 1940). Used the internet to look further at this artist. One aspect of his Child doings paintings. They are free of adult supervision so fit into the children's literature genre of stories about children away from adults and free to solve their difficulty's by their own actions. Most often used in adventure stories. The 1890's would seem to indicate that it was art in which this theme began to appear. A British reader tells us, "I am familar with Booker's body of work. He charmingly captures many aspects of childhood. One picture in particular is my favorite because it shows the often naughty nehavior of boys. He depicts an archery game in which a boy is firing an arrow at a large doll pinned to the wall. I was amused by this and thought of the argument that would develop when his sister finds what bhe did. It reminded me of the doll's house my cousin had. She had spent a lot of time buying doll's furniture and settinhout the rooms. When I came along with my army of soldiers and turned the rooms into a battle field. My cousin was furious and never again allowed my to come near her doll house unsupervised!"







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Created: 11:38 AM 11/3/2019
Last updated: 11:59 PM 11/3/2019