The Enid Blyton Society

Superb that Tony.Thank you.
Wonder were he got it from.
If cash was available I would go up to around £250-300....

Tony Summerfield wrote:Here is something to make your mouth water, Pete. Original Maxey (??) artwork, with the actual cover underneath. I was asked to make an offer for this but it was apparently less than he had paid for it. I did go back to him but I heard no more from him. Sorry about the picture but it was what I was sent.




It measures 50cms X 30cms, so it is quite large, but I feel that the top had some later alteration.

A truly striking piece of artwork! Thanks, Tony - it's fascinating to see it.

The child on the left (not sure if it's meant to be George, Jo or Dick!!!) looks so much like Jemima Rooper!

I think that original artwork really does prove how good an artist Betty Maxey was. Most of us base our evaluation on her line drawings, but her paintings were very accomplished.

You speak well Rob,but I fear the diehards will never accept that!!!

I think one of the problems with artwork like this is that we don't know for sure if it was by Betty Maxey, there is nothing on the front or back to help with this. It is certainly original artwork as it is initialled with the words, 'checked with text' 7.3.68 and then OK EW (Eric Wharmby the boss), £12 2s 6d -'area to be used for to be decided'. It is also quite clear if you look at the finished product that the artwork had further work done on it before it was used.

A few weeks ago I bought some original Blyton artwork on Ebay. This is about the same size and was done for a hardback with the artist definitely known, Joyce A. Johnson. She was an important Blyton illustrator as she did a huge amount of work for Blyton, especially in the magazines, but she was also the illustrator for the first edition of The Three Golliwogs. The starting price was £75 and with just one other bidder I bought it for £77, although I had put in more than this. I took advice on the Maxey (?) artwork and also seeing that it had slight damage at the bottom and was also clearly worked on further, I offered £100 for it (which was more than I was advised to!). It was rejected, but I would have thought your estimate, Pete, would have been snapped up! Below is the artwork that I bought.

What delightful artwork, Tony. That's what I call a good cover! I did like the cover illustration for Five Have a Wonderful Time, but before I change my opinion of Maxey and whoop with delight, I would need proof that it was done by her.

Thank you for that information Tony.

My estimate reflects as Julie says what the artwork means to me,plus the fact that in my lifetime it is the only piece of work (most likely)by her that has ever (and may be) made available.
I don't know if any other work will ever come along,so that influenced the price I would be prepared to pay.

If all the cover art to the Knight 1960's & 70's editions was not by Betty Maxey then surely the real artist would have become known by now?
It's not in the mists of time like the artwork done for Enid in the 1920's & 30's...


Here's a link to a few emails I shared with a lifelong family friend of Betty & Dale Maxey for any of those that would like to learn a little more about her:

http://share.pho.to/9qI53" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I love the picture you bought, Tony. Well done. The coloured art work is good too, reflects the atmosphere of the fair folk.

I'm a bit puzzled about the fact people are wondering if the 'Betty Maxey' artwork was really done by her, but that the other cover Tony has posted from 'The Good Morning Book' is verified as being Joyce A Johnson. As far as I can see, neither piece of artwork has been signed, so how do we know the second example really is Joyce Johnson? Maybe it's based on a credit from the original book which used the painting for the cover? Just wondered how we know who definitely painted it??

I can't really see why it would be questioned that Betty Maxey painted the fire-eating picture, except that she isn't credited on the Famous Five covers - but looking at other examples of her work, it's easy to recognise her style. As a dramatic piece of artwork, I think it's superb, whoever painted it!

Tony Summerfield wrote: A few weeks ago I bought some original Blyton artwork on Ebay. This is about the same size and was done for a hardback with the artist definitely known, Joyce A. Johnson. She was an important Blyton illustrator as she did a huge amount of work for Blyton, especially in the magazines, but she was also the illustrator for the first edition of The Three Golliwogs. The starting price was £75 and with just one other bidder I bought it for £77, although I had put in more than this. I took advice on the Maxey (?) artwork and also seeing that it had slight damage at the bottom and was also clearly worked on further, I offered £100 for it (which was more than I was advised to!). It was rejected, but I would have thought your estimate, Pete, would have been snapped up! Below is the artwork that I bought.

I thought I recognised it!

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... A.+Johnson" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the link to the correspondence, Pete.

Tony Summerfield wrote:I think one of the problems with artwork like this is that we don't know for sure if it was by Betty Maxey, there is nothing on the front or back to help with this. It is certainly original artwork as it is initialled with the words, 'checked with text' 7.3.68 and then OK EW (Eric Wharmby the boss), £12 2s 6d -'area to be used for to be decided'. It is also quite clear if you look at the finished product that the artwork had further work done on it before it was used.

It's very interesting to learn how much the publishers paid for the artwork - £12 2s 6d.

Moonraker wrote:...before I change my opinion of Maxey and whoop with delight, I would need proof that it was done by her.

Robert Houghton wrote:I'm a bit puzzled about the fact people are wondering if the 'Betty Maxey' artwork was really done by her, but that the other cover Tony has posted from 'The Good Morning Book' is verified as being Joyce A Johnson. As far as I can see, neither piece of artwork has been signed, so how do we know the second example really is Joyce Johnson? Maybe it's based on a credit from the original book which used the painting for the cover? Just wondered how we know who definitely painted it??

I expect you're right in suggesting that the cover artist is credited in the book, Robert, though I don't own a copy of The Good Morning Book so I can't check.

Robert Houghton wrote:I can't really see why it would be questioned that Betty Maxey painted the fire-eating picture, except that she isn't credited on the Famous Five covers - but looking at other examples of her work, it's easy to recognise her style.

Yes, I agree that it's possible to tell by looking at Betty Maxey's other work. To pick out a few obvious similarities:

- Looking at the cover of Gemma Alone, the shape and features of the girl's face are very much like the shape and features of some of the children's faces in the Five Have a Wonderful Time painting.

- The swirly purple and red-brown colours used for the cover of This Ravaged Heart resemble the swirly purple and red-brown colours of the Five Have a Wonderful Time painting.

- The covers of The Mallen Girl and Five Go to Billycock Hill are similar - e.g. the landscape, leaves and hair.

Just clearing up one or two things from the artwork that I bought. The bit on the left is stuck on as this was the spine used on all four books that she illustrated. Two things that might help you understand why I am saying it is definitely by her are if you look in the bottom right hand corner you can see a small 'J', which is something that she used on several bits of her artwork. The other thing, Rob, is that I never state things as fact unless I am sure of it - and I guess it also helps that it says so inside the book!

The Famous Five illustration may well be by Betty Maxey, but there is no definitive proof and any dealer would require some sort of provenance.

Thanks Tony. I wasn't really doubting it was by Joyce Johnson - as I know you wouldn't say so without proof - but I was just wondering how anyone could tell. Thanks for giving some pointers, such as the small 'J' in the corner, which I hadn't noticed.

I agree that a dealer would definitely want proof that the book cover for 'Wonderful Time' was a Betty Maxey - after all, it could be a copy of the original. I still think it's a great piece of artwork though.

I have put an illustration in the next Journal which I am most unsure about - I haven't said anything about it at all as I was waiting for readers' reactions on it. I might then say a bit about it.