Marjorie L. Davies

Enid used many illustrators in her books. Discuss them here.
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Tony Summerfield »

On the anniversary of Enid's death, November 28th, one of Enid's illustrators, Marjorie L. Davies died at the age of 101. Although she was never responsible for illustrating any full-length books, she produced a large number of illustrations for Blyton's short stories throughout the 1950s, including the covers for the final two issues of Enid Blyton's Magazine for the story 'A Dog Called Timmy' and also the only Noddy story to appear in Sunny Stories.

Seven years ago, I went with Imogen to see her at her picture postcard cottage in Chailey, and it was wonderful to see some of the records of her work that she kept, along with original artwork. We wrote an article about this in Journal 13.
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks for that, Tony. I'm sorry to hear that Marjorie Davies has died but it sounds as if she had a busy and productive life right to the end.

Anita
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Ming
Posts: 6057
Joined: 14 Nov 2006, 16:58
Favourite book/series: Adventure/Mystery
Favourite character: Fatty, Bill Smugs, Kiki
Location: Ithaca, NY
Contact:

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Ming »

Just found this article - might be of interest. :)
Image

Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by pete9012S »

ImageImage
Marjorie L. Davies - illustrator of 'A Dog Called TImmy'

I was surprised to learn that Marjorie L. Davies apparently turned down the opportunity to illustrate the Famous Five books?
As soon as Blyton saw Davies's artwork, early in 1950, she
commissioned her to illustrate some of the Sunny Stories
magazines and for the next 10 years Davies was one of
Blyton's favourite artists, producing over 100 drawings and
pictures for her many children's magazines and books, most
notably the Bedside, Holiday and Flower annuals.

Working for Enid Blyton was, Davies said, the happiest
period of her professional life, though she sometimes
regretted turning down the chance to illustrate The Famous
Five, laughingly calling it the worst commercial decision
she ever made.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... YC98uNq0yk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With the Five's starting back in 1942 would this have been paperbacks /replacing Eileen Soper/or something else?

I noticed this on Heather's Blyton Pages - (which don't seem to exist anymore):
Marjorie Davies was born in Hampstead, London.

In 1923 she attended St Martin's Art School of Art in London, and went on to illustrate Blackie's Annual in 1931, Bo Peep's Bumper Book (Amalgamated Press, 1929), and famously, the colour plates for Lewis Carrol's Alice Adventure Stories (Hutchinson, 1934). She also created artwork for wallpaper and friezes for Shand-Kydd.

Marjorie completed over 90 commissions for Enid Blyton, although she turned down offers to illustrate Noddy, as well as the Famous Five after Eileen Soper's death.
As Eileen Soper passed away in 1990 I am none the wiser?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eileen_Soper" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by pete9012S »

Image

I have just dug out and re-read Journal 13 Dec 2000 which included a comprehensive resume of Marjorie's career,including a letter to her from Enid after The Enid Blyton Magazine stopped being produced.

The Journal article is most interesting. There is no reference to Marjorie being asked or turning down illustrating The Famous Five though.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Rob Houghton »

Intriguing! Maybe it was just a legend that Marjorie Davies made up, regarding the Five! ;-) But if it was after Eileen Soper's death, then surely she wouldn't have been commissioned to re-illustrate a whole series of books in her 90's?! :shock:
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by pete9012S »

It's a mystery to me Rob - similar to why exactly this illustration came about??


Image
Five Go Off In A Caravan - Mary Gernat
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... 91#p252291" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Tony Summerfield »

pete9012S wrote:I have just dug out and re-read Journal 13 Dec 2000 which included a comprehensive resume of Marjorie's career,including a letter to her from Enid after The Enid Blyton Magazine stopped being produced.

The Journal article is most interesting. There is no reference to Marjorie being asked or turning down illustrating The Famous Five though.
As the co-author of that article about Marjorie Davies, I am slightly puzzled about this Famous Five remark. Imogen and I spent a fair amount of time with her and Sally Varlow who wrote her biography after her death was also present. We were shown a lot of things from her various files and she also talked about her illustrations of Noddy for the Sunny Stories story, but at no stage did she mention anything about the Famous Five, so I am really not at all sure where this came from. Eileen Soper started illustrating the Famous Five in 1942 and continued to do so until the final book in 1963, so there is no way that Enid would have asked anybody else to illustrate them in this period. Marjorie Davies started working for Enid in 1950 and produced her final work in 1959, so I'm afraid I have to take these comments about the Famous Five as totally wrong.
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by pete9012S »

Yes,I totally agree Tony.The alleged statement does not dovetail comfortably or feasibly alongside the Famous Five illustrator's extant historicity.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I am going to quote a whole paragraph from her Biography which might explain things better.

"The years working for Enid Blyton were, she said, the happiest times of her professional life. She often laughingly recalled her worst commercial decision as her refusal to take over illustrating one of Enid's main story-book series. Blyton's annuals and magazines always contained illustrations by several different artists, but for her series Enid liked to use only one of her favourites, so that the images remained consistent. Eileen Soper always illustrated The Famous Five, Harmsen van der Beek did Noddy (until his sudden death) and for the first four Secret Seven books, Enid chose George Brook. But in 1952 she was considering a different artist for the Secret Seven, and it seems most likely that those were the characters she offered Marjorie, though Marjorie's later recollections implied it was The Famous Five."

It would look as if Sally Varlow, who wrote the Biography, thought like many others that Enid really only wrote three main series and it therefore had to be one of these that Marjorie was being offered, but there are one or two other possibilities! Obviously the Famous Five illustrating was just speculation, but as so often happens with these things it can quickly turn into fact somewhere down the line.

I will try to add a picture of the Biography cover, it is an excellent book.
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Rob Houghton »

I would personally say, given the time-frame, that The Secret Seven was a more likely contender - after all, Burgess Sharrocks wasn't much good! 8) Of course, it could also have been The Five Find-Outers or even the Barney series for Rat-a-Tat...
Last edited by Rob Houghton on 06 Aug 2017, 11:27, edited 1 time in total.
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by pete9012S »

Thanks Tony. That really seems to clear things up a lot.

I've been trying to get hold of a copy of A Brush with Enid Blyton: The Life and Work of Marjorie L. Davies by Sally Varlow but it is proving quite elusive!
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by pete9012S »

Hurrah!
Just bought it from Pomegranate Press for £12.50 inc delivery.

http://www.pomegranate-press.co.uk/nonf ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have never seen it for sale anywhere but if you can find a copy it is a really nice book.

Image

You found a copy whilst I was scanning mine, Pete! :D
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Marjorie L. Davies

Post by pete9012S »

Thanks for the scan Tony - Yes,it looks like a very good book.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
Post Reply