Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Enid used many illustrators in her books. Discuss them here.
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Keith Robinson
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Keith Robinson »

Yes, Gilbert is/was one of my favorite Blyton illustrators too. Tony, those drawings for "Secret Seven Adventure" are great! Why oh why was George Brook picked for the first part of the series? No offense to Brook, but... well, he's not a patch on Dunlop.

I mentioned recently that Gilbert Dunlop was possibly the first illustrator I came across when I picked up my first "genuine old Blyton book" -- a 1965 copy of The Boy Next Door. Okay, this is not exactly old, but it's old enough to feel like a vintage original. Anyway, his illustrations practically sold it for me. From then on, modernized paperbacks were out, and hardback "originals" were in.

I'm actually surprised how few books Gilbert illustrated for Blyton. I had this idea he was a "regular" but his portfolio for Blyton is pretty small, just five Barney books and two or three standalone novels.

Another favorite of mine is Daphine Rowles, who only seems to have drawn ONE book, The Hidey-Hole. Not a great book by any means, but I love the illustrations. You can see some of them here. I think these would have been well suited for the Secret Seven.
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with you about Gilbert Dunlop, I have to say that I quite like George Brook's illustrations - even the priggish Peter looks quite amiable! Funnily enough I was contacted by a close relative of George Brook's by phone about two years ago. He promised me he would write something about him and send it to me, but as is often the case I heard no more. I could even manage Bruno Kay, but I thought Burgess Sharrocks was very poor.

I think in answer to your question, Enid liked to have different illustrators for all her main series and characters. Before it became a series, Eileen Soper illustrated the Secret Seven in Secret of the Old Mill, but as she was already doing the Famous Five I would guess Enid didn't simply want illustrations that looked like the Famous Seven! The same goes for Gilbert Dunlop, who was already committed to the Barney series and would therefore have been illustrating two series concurrently. When Enid finished the St Clare's series and moved onto Malory Towers, she moved from Lindsay Cable to Stanley Lloyd, obviouslt she didn't want illustrations that just looked as if all the St. Clare's girls had merely moved to a different school.

I really like the Gilbert Dunlop illustrations that I put in this thread and I have others that I will put into the Book Listing when I get round to it. However many of his illustrations were just very small chapter headings (particularly in the Barney books) and sometimes only silhouettes, I just wish more could have been made of him. The Ragamuffin Mystery which got serialised in Enid Blyton's Magazine had some great illustrations and the first edition also has a super colour plate which I will put in the book listing. Early editions of The Boy Next Door also had a colour plate, but I think these were left out of later editions. When I do this for the Book Listing I will show both Bestall and Dunlop illustrations.
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Rob Houghton »

Must admit I too rather like George Brook's illustrations for Secret seven, and also quite like Bruno Kay - particularly 'Good Work, Secret Seven' (1954) but not so keen on Sharrocks. Saying that, I DO like Burgess Sharrocks last cover illustration for 'Fun For the Secret Seven' - it makes the book seem so much better than it really is - a clear case of 'don't judge a book by its cover'! :wink:

But I don't think many illustrations beat Dunlop. His figures are always in proportion, and the characters all look so real. They all look like individuals, unlike the girls in 'St Clares', for example, who all look the same ( I believe W.Lindsay Cable used his wife as a model for the girls, hense their similarity!) And Dunlop's characters all look normally built ( not 'hulky' like many of Eileen Soper's figures for example)

I wish he'd have illustraited more books.

I'm very glad I have a copy of 'Enid Blyton in the Sunday Graphic' (EB publication) which shows many of Dunlop's illustrations from 'secret Seven Adventure'. They remind me a lot of the caravans and characters from Rilloby Fair, which backs up Tony's comments about illustrating two series at once: probably it would have become confusing to have two sets of characters who looked similar, and maybe Dunlop's illustrations are a little too 'grown-up' for The Secret Seven? I think they are more suited to the 'Mystery' books, which were aimed at older readers. :D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
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Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I'm not too sure about the illustrator for your new avatar, Rob! :lol:

Gosh it changed again, whilst I was posting!!!!
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Ming »

We need to see a clearer picture of your avatar, Rob!
Image

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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Rob Houghton »

Yes - I've been messing with it for a while!!! :evil:

It will appear better very soon!

I hope! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Rob Houghton
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Rob Houghton »

Not quite the image I had in mind at first, but at least it's clearer!!

The Sea of Adventure - one of my favourite Adventure books. 8)

Trouble is, now what Tony and Ming said above makes very little sense!! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Ming »

That's a very nice picture, Rob - better than the previous one!
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Moonraker »

Trust me to be away and miss all the fun! :o
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Lucky Star »

Nice avatar Rob. That makes three Adventure series covers on the avatar list. Obviously they are a sign of great taste. :wink: :D
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Rob Houghton »

obviously!! :D :lol: :D :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Lenoir »

Looking at the spines of the dust wrappers of 'Rat a tat' and 'Ragamuffin', Anyon Cook’s Snubby is very similar to Gilbert Dunlop’s Snubby (in this instance).

Looking at the other illustrations in Rat a Tat, it seems to me as if Anyon Cook tried to make the characters look as close to the originals as was possible.
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Rob Houghton »

The inside illustrations for Rat-a-tat arent bad at all, though I still like Dunlop best, but the cover for rat-a-tat leaves a lot to be desired, i think.

I also noticed the other day that suddenly, in 'ragamuffin' that the children are all depicted as being younger than the other Dunlop books in the series. Anyone agree? :)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Lucky Star »

Yes I've just dug it out and had a look and they do look younger. This is noy unique to the Barney series though. In some of the later Famous Fives Eileen Soper has depicted the children as looking younger than they were in, say, books 13/14. maybe she realied that they were going to become too old if she continued to age them. :lol:
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Re: Gilbert Dunlop - Illustrator

Post by Rob Houghton »

It happens in the famous five quite a bit, as you say, apparently because Enid didnt intend the series to go on that long at first and then didnt want them becoming old grannies and grandads solving crimes! Never heard the same thing said about the barney books, though. Wonder if Enid was going to continue those but then didnt get round to it? :D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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