Stuart Tresilian (Uncle Cecil)

[Matthew Roberts]

Ha ha! I haven’t been back on the Forums for very long, but even I know about your fondness for a certain illustrator (at least, I think I do!). Might her initials be BM?

[Katharine]

Out of interest, aside from Soper and Tesilian, does anyone have any other favourite Enid Blyton illustrators? I have to admit to being rather ignorant on this subject, as I never really took much notice of the illustrators when reading the books. I naturally appreciated the illustrations (the good ones!) and enjoyed the way they complemented the text and added to the reading experience. But I never looked into the illustrators themselves. I doubt I could even name more than four Blyton illustrators.

I had Famous Five books with both Eileen Soper and Betty Maxey as a child, and always preferred the former. All of my Adventure series books were paperbacks, so only had a few illustrations, but as far as I remember, I quite liked them.

I particularly liked the illustrations in my Dean books, such as Amelia Jane, The Children of Cherry Tree Farm etc., some of which I believe are Rene Cloke, the others sadly uncredited. I also had access to Dorothy Wheeler's drawings in the Faraway Tree books, which I slightly preferred to the Dean versions. I also liked the Secret Seven drawings from the 1970's, complete with anoraks.

I think I mostly either liked, or was indifferent to the illustrations I came across as a child, with the exception of BM (sorry Pete).

[Anita Bensoussane]

Out of interest, aside from Soper and Tresilian, does anyone have any other favourite Enid Blyton illustrators?

There are loads that I like, but as a child I particularly noticed Grace Lodge and Rene Cloke.

[Irene Malory Towers]

Gilbert Dunlop for the Barney ones. I think he did them all apart from the Rat a tat mystery. Also for the farm books I have 2 old copies of Six Cousins at Mistletoe Farm and Six Cousins Again. They are illustrated by Maurice Tulloch and by Peter Beigel and although there are not many illustrations they are both lovely.

[Matthew Roberts]

Gilbert Dunlop definitely, and I remember liking the Five Find-Outers’ illustrators as well, though there were a few different ones. Thanks to Tony’s encyclopaedic knowledge, I now know them to be Treyer Evans and Joseph Abbey.

I think it is often the way that one likes an illustrator merely because they illustrated the specific editions one happened to grow up reading. (Why does one always sound so pretentious when one uses “one”? ) In my case, my Secret Seven books were the paperbacks published by Green Knight in the 1960s and 1970s. So to me, the illustrations by Derek Lucas are the Secret Seven.

[John Pickup]

Gilbert Dunlop definitely, and I remember liking the Five Find-Outers’ illustrators as well, though there were a few different ones. Thanks to Tony’s encyclopaedic knowledge, I now know them to be Treyer Evans and Joseph Abbey.

I like Gilbert Dunlop but I prefer Lilian Buchanan's work for the last three FFO books. I also prefer her Malory Towers wrapper illustrations over Stanley Lloyd's.

[Irene Malory Towers]

Just finished reading the Circus of Adventure and there is a very touching picture of Bill and Allie resting her head on his shoulder at the top of sugar loaf mountain. I think this is the only illustration of them being affectionate. Cannot remember how to add the picture in though so people will just have to look at the Cave of Books

[Boatbuilder]

I’ve just had a look but can’t see any picture that fits with your description, Irene. This is the page I viewed:

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/boo ... ustrations

[pete9012S]

Just finished reading the Circus of Adventure and there is a very touching picture of Bill and Allie resting her head on his shoulder at the top of sugar loaf mountain.

Yes - great find Irene!

[Lucky Star]

Yes another wonderfully evocative illustration from Stuart Tresilian. Definitely my all time favourite illustrator.

[Boodi 2]

The only illustrator I really dislike is Joseph Abbey, as some of his illustrations in the Five-Find-Outers (an example is Spiteful Letters) are bordering on the grotesque and make the children look like little monsters and Mr. Goon is not treated very kindly either.

[John Pickup]

My all time favourite illustration in any of Enid's books is in The Valley Of Adventure and shows the children at the foot of the blocked Windy Pass. Stuart's masterpiece.

[Irene Malory Towers]

Thanks Pete you came to my rescue as you have posted the picture I meant. You have to reload the illustrations Boatbuilder. Bill's head and Ally's head are at the side of the picture so quite subtle. And Bill has his pipe in his mouth even though he seems to be asleep. Wonderful. Yes I know the picture you mean in Valley, John. Another wonderful one. I must go through them all again as I think in all of them they are some great pictures. I remember Sea and Castle having very good pictures too.

[Boatbuilder]

You have to reload the illustrations Boatbuilder. Bill's head and Ally's head are at the side of the picture so quite subtle. And Bill has his pipe in his mouth even though he seems to be asleep. Wonderful.

It was one of the pictures I saw when I looked through them, Irene, but as I only skimmed through them fairly quickly and they (Bill and Allie) weren't the main subjects, I never spotted them on the right side, probably for the reason you said.

[Irene Malory Towers]

I have read that book (Circus) loads of times and this is the first time that I had spotted it too (Boatbuilder). I have decided to look more carefully at Stuart Treslian's illustrations, let's see what other (copper !) nuggets I can gleam