Five Find-Outers Illustrator Comparison

[pete9012S]

The Mystery of The Disappearing Cat(1947 third edition) v The The Mystery of The Disappearing Cat (1974 Dragon Edition).....(J.Abbey v Mary Gernat)

Now I don't know how affectionately J. Abbey is viewed amongst the Find Outers original illustrators,but how does he compare in your mind to Mary Gernat?

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Here's a selection from the main ones posted on facebook,although it must be said the paperback does not contain many illustrations compared to the hardback original!

[Julie2owlsdene]

Again I'm used to seeing the pictures on the left, but the other illustrations are nice little pictures.

[pete9012S]

Yes,in the main it does seem to be largely about 'what illustrations we are used to.'
There was an interesting discussion about the variety of the Find Outers original illustrators back in 2008...

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Hardback Illustrators:

From one to seven it wasJ.Abbey,from eight to twelve it was Treyer Evans and from thirteen to fifteen it was Lilian Buchanan

Early Paperbacks;

On the early paperback front the first seven books are illustrated by Mary Gernat,(has anyone seen the 1965 Armada, illustrations by Dylan Roberts, cover by Charles Stewart at all?)

Then we have Jenny Chapple for The Invisible Thief & Vanished Prince,then back to Mary Gernat for the next title.

The paperback version of Holly Lane contains Treyer Evans illustrations,as does Tally Ho Cottage.
Then we have a run of Lilian Buchanan illustrated paperbacks ,until Banshee Towers,which in the early paperback editions are illustrated by Jenny Chapple.

Also not seen often are 1963 Armada, illustrations and cover by Charles Stewart...

[Fiona1986]

The Find-Outers paperbacks have a confusing number of illustrators! Took me an age to organise it all when I blogged about my childhood books.

Mary Gernat is a perfectly decent illustrator - she doesn't seem to update her illustrations in the same way Betty Maxey did. Out of the FFO illustrators I think I like Lilian Buchanan best.