Randolph Caldecott Society UK

Sickness and early death. However, Randolph’s The Randolph health was generally very poor and he suffered much from gastritis and a heart condition going back to an Caldecott RANDOLPH illness in his childhood. It was his health among other Society things which prompted his many winter trips to the Mediterranean and other warm climates. It was on such CALDECOTT a tour in the USA in 1886 that he was taken ill again in The 1977/8 exhibition of Randolph’s work at Manchester Florida and died at St. Augustine on 12th February. A Library inspired Kenn Oultram, a Cheshire journalist, to headstone still marks his grave in the cemetery there. form a Society to promote a greater interest in the work of (1846 –1886) this Chester-born artist. The Society’s inaugural meeting After his death, friends and admirers financed the was held on 18 June 1983, and there have been two or memorial sculpture by Alfred Gilbert in St Paul’s more meetings each year since then. Cathedral Crypt, London. Aims: To increase interest, appreciation and knowledge Some books illustrated by of Randolph Caldecott’s life and work. Randolph Caldecott Activities: Picture Books (two each Christmas): • Specialist lectures at our general meetings; 1878 The House that Jack Built; Visits to places where Randolph lived or sketched; John Gilpin • • Funding prizes for art students at North East Wales 1879 Elegy on a Mad Dog; The Babes in the Wood Institute (NEWI), the West Cheshire College and the Queen’s School, Chester; 1880 Sing a Song for Sixpence; Artist and The Three Jovial Huntsmen • Annual commemoration of Randolph’s birth at choral evensong in Chester Cathedral; Children’s Book Illustrator 1881 The Queen of Hearts (see picture); The Farmer's Boy • Hosting members of the Randolph Caldecott Society of America on visits to this country. 1882 The Milkmaid; Hey Diddle Diddle and Baby Bunting Achievements: • Prompted commemoration of Caldecott, eg by per- 1883 The Frog He Would A’ Wooing Go; suading the Council to put up a plaque at Randolph’s The Fox Jumps Over the Parson's Gate birthplace and hotels to name “Randolph” rooms; 1884 Come Lasses and Lads; • Prompted commemorative publications & events, eg Ride a Cock Horse and a Farmer Went Trotting exhibition at the Worcester Museum. 1885 The Great Panjandrum; Mrs Mary Blaize It is perhaps a reflection on this country that Randolph is Travel books: more widely known in the USA than he is here; this is probably because of the Caldecott Medal awarded The Harz Mountains; North Italian Folk; annually by the American Library Association for the Breton Folk year’s best illustrated children’s book. By Washington Irving: It is not our aim to replicate this award but we feel that in and the Old Christmas (see picture); the work of Randolph Caldecott there is genius, wit, Bracebridge Hall beauty and charm and that we should strive to bring his Randolph Caldecott work and these qualities to a wider audience. By Juliana Ewing: Jackanapes; Find out more about Randolph and the Society on our Society Daddy Darwin's Dovecote; Lob Lie-by-the-fire. Website: www.randolphcaldecott.org.uk Randolph Caldecott transformed the world of child- time, which he maintained all his life, to decorate his Captain Marryatt. Among well known admirers of his ren's books in the Victorian era. Children eagerly letters, papers and documents work were Gaugin and Van awaited the two books illustrated by him, priced at a with marginal sketches to Gogh. shilling each, which came out each Christmas for eight illustrate the content or provide years. Randolph’s output, however, ranged wider than amusement. A number of his Randolph continued to travel, this: he illustrated novels and acc- letters have been re-printed partly for the sake of his ounts of foreign travel, he made with their illustra-tions in health, and to make drawings humorous drawings depicting hunting Michael Hutchings’ book Yours of the people and places he and fashionable life, he drew cartoons Pictorially. In 1870, drawings visited; these drawings, and he made sketches of the famous by Randolph began to be (Letter-head from Randolph’s accompanied by his humor- letter to his sister Sophia “… deeply interested in the inside Parliament and out of it; he published in the monthly ous and witty captions and after his birthday, 1874.) narrative, were published in the copying of a picture” also exhibited sculptures and paint- magazine London Society. (Graphic, Dec 1882). ings in oil and watercolour in the London Graphic. In London. Encouraged by this evidence of his ability to Royal Academy and galleries. Christmas 1879 support himself by his art, in 1872 Randolph gave up his Home and marriage. In 1879 Randolph moved to Early years. Randolph was born on job and moved to London. Within two years, he had Kent, where he became engaged to Marian Brind. They 22 March 1846 at 16 Bridge Street, on the upper storey become a successful magazine illustrator working on were married in 1880. There were no children of the of the famous Rows in Chester, England. He was the commission. His work included individual sketches, marriage. In 1882 they moved to Surrey; they also third child of John Caldecott, a business man and illustrations of articles and of accounts of foreign travel. rented a house in Kensington. accountant, and of his first wife, He remained in London for seven years, mostly living just [contd. overleaf] Mary Dinah (née Brookes). He opposite the British Museum. Here, in the heart of went to The King's School which, Bloomsbury, he met and readily made friends with many the Society, complete coupon below and send in those days, was in the cathedral artistic and literary people, including Rosetti, George du To join buildings in the centre of the city. Maurier (a fellow contributor to Punch), and Millais. with a cheque or postal order, payable to “Randolph In his childhood Randolph drew Caldecott Society”, to the Treasurer, Mr R Evers, Fame. In 1869, Randolph had an oil painting hung in the and modelled mostly animals. A Boundary Cottage, Mulsford Lane, Worthenbury, Royal Manchester Institute and he was hung in the Royal small oil painting of his brother Wrexham, Wales, LL13 0AW. Academy for the first time in 1876. As a water- colourist, Alfred, painted during his school days, is in Chester. Tel 01948 770 633. he was elected to the Royal Institute of Watercolour At the age of fifteen, Randolph started work in a Bank Painting in 1872. Annual subscription rates from 2004/5 are: at nearby Whitchurch. Many of his later illustrations • Individuals: £10; In 1877 Edmund Evans, who was a colour printer and include buildings and scenery of that area. Even as talented engraver, lost the services of Walter Crane as his • Family (all at same address)/Corporate: £15. young as fifteen, he had his first sketch and report children's book illustrator and asked Randolph to do published in the Illustrated London News: of a disas- illustrations for two books for Christmas. The results were trous fire at the Queen Hotel in Chester. He took up Please enrol me as a member(s) of The House that Jack Built and The Diverting History of hunting and this led him The Randolph Caldecott Society. John Gilpin, published in 1878. They in later years to produce were an immediate success; so much so Name(s) ...... numerous drawings and that he produced two more each year sketches of hunting until he died. The stories and rhymes Address ...... scenes, many of them were all of Randolph’s choosing and in humorous. From The Fox jumps over the some cases were written or added to by ...... Parson’s Gate (1883) In Manchester. him. By 1884, sales of Randolph’s ...... At twenty-one, Randolph nursery rhymes had reached 867,000 moved to the head office of a Manchester Bank. He copies (of twelve books) and he was The House that Postcode ...... Tel ...... took the opportunity to study in the evenings at the internationally famous. Jack Built Manchester School of Art. It was a habit of his at this Email ...... Randolph also illustrated books by famous authors of the

time, including Washington Irving, Juliana Ewing, and Cover picture: from John Gilpin (1878) Signature ......