The Enid Blyton Society

Now Nigel, you accused me of re-opening a thread that had been last posted on three years and one month before, but if you look at Viv's post, you'll see that it's about three years and five months after the last post!

And about Eileen Soper, I just searched for her, and found this site, which seems quite good.

Hi all,

I read all the posts on Eileen Soper in "The Illustrators", but still couldn't find an answer to my question: did Eileen Soper actually go to Corfe Castle, Dorset, in 1941/1942 when she illustrated the first Famous Five book?
Although I have the book "The Art of George and Eileen Soper", it doesn't really tell how Soper created her beautiful Kirrin castle illustrations in "Five on a Treasure Island".
Did she use photographs of Corfe Castle or actually spent some time there?
In case somebody knows, I would love to find out more.

Hi everyone I just found this link on Eileen Soper and a photo of her when she was young,once the website appears just scroll down the page a bit and you will see her...

http://www.thegypsypoet.co.uk/play_people.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Cheers and Gingerbeers

Maureen

Thanks, Maureen. Here is the photo in question:



Eileen Soper (26th March 1905 - 18th March 1990)

I really love her illustrations on Famous five books while often a times when I see other illustrations done by other illustrators I don't feel that connection between the book and the characters shown on the cover page.
I never knew she died so early, but it's nice to find the information about her.

Tony, can you find any more of her photos or anything regarding her children who might keep her memories up.

I don't think Eileen Soper married or had children. And she was nearly 85 when she died!

zaidi wrote: Tony, can you find any more of her photos or anything regarding her children who might keep her memories up.

Maybe Viv tried to keep her memory alive. It is just a shame that hardly anyone has heard of her.

I wonder is Eileen was any relation to Lord (Donald) Soper, the great Methodist Superintendent Minister and Peer of the realm. A true Christian who practised what he preached. I remember, as a small child, being transfixed at seeing him preach in Hyde Park on his soap-box.

Hi Folks!!
Eileen Alice Soper did not marry or have any children along with her elder sister Eva Lillian Soper and they both died as spinsters in 1990.

Eileen died in March and Eva died in September in Nursing homes.They are not related according to Lord Donald Soper according to their Family Tree but within their family tree and their cousin I believe who was also an illustrator and was known as Vernon Lissenden Soper b 1899 and he also did illustrations for Enid Blyton.

Below are a list of his works........

Vernon Lissenden Soper (1899-?) a children's book illustrater of London
1891 census may show family at Hackney. Lon : Williemea 24, Elizabeth 22, George 18 & Edith 14 all b. Stoke Newington : if so his father in '81 was George Robert Soper 43 a Horticultural Sundriesman b.St Pancras
* Vernon Lissenden Soper, birth registered July-Aug 1899, Furham district
* Vernon L Soper, b.Sheperds Bush, aged 1 in 1901 cenus with father John Logan Soper 28, a printer working on 'own account' b.Stoke Newington, Lon & Ellen 26 b.Bayswater, with a housemaid at 35 Pennard Rd, Hammersmith.
* Vernon Sissenden Soper, at 11 at Brentford, Lon, (& John Cogan Soper 37 & Ellen Soper 35 ) 1901 cenus
* Vernon L Soper, an artist at 36 First Ave, W3, in London Phone Book 'Chiswick 2074' from 1921 to at least 1930, by 1945 he was at 125 Honor Oak Park, SE23 'Forest Hill 2950'
* Vernon L Soper, b.Sheperds Bush, age 1 in 1901 cenus with father John Logan Soper 28, a printer working on 'own account' b.Stoke Newington, Lon & Ellen 26 b.Bayswater, with a housemaid at 35 Pennard Rd, Hammersmith.
* Vernon L Soper on a list of alumni of University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. Service records for WW1 in archives born 14 Apr 1897 at Soper ND. Bent draft board. Colorado draft registration cards
* Vernon was gunner nr19187, Royal Garrison Artillery in WW1 (1914-19)
* An immediate family connection between artists Eileen Soper & George seems slight, seems George's father (a printer) & grandfather born London? but Eileen's grandfather b. Devon : George's father was a printer & Eileen's a Royal Academy painter
-
Published Books, illustrated by V Soper
- 'The Magic Walking Stick' by John Buchan c1920 with colour frontispiece & 2 colour illustrations by Vernon L Soper
- 'The Underdog and Blackman's Wood' - 2 New Crime Stories - by Agatha Christie & E Phillips Oppenheim : London: The Reader�s Librar, 1929, artwork by Vernon Soper
- 'The Secret Service Schoolboy', by Ernest Protheroe, ill. Vernon Soper (cover). GB: Readers Library, 1931
- 'The Wonderland of Knowledge', pub Odhams Press Ltd (nd c1933), 12 vol, illustrated by various artists inc Vernon Soper, Eileen A Soper
- Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales pub Collins 1934 & 1954, with 12 full page b&w illustrations by Vernon Soper
- 'Once Upon a Time' by George G Harrap & Co, Lon 1934 & 1948 & 9. Illustrated by Honor C Appleton, Charles Robinson, Vernon Soper. Hardback
- 'The Dragon Green'. by 'Joyce Bissell Thomas' pub London : Burns, Oates, 1936. Ill by Vernon Soper
- 'The Fisherman and the Mermaid', by Lillian Bradstock, illus. Vernon Soper a story in The Children's Golden Treasure Book for 1938
- 'The Favorite Wonder Book', pub Odhams Press Ltd, London 1938 a compilation with several illustrators inc Vernon Soper & G & E Soper : [so presume connection to artists George Soper & daughters Eileen & below]
- 'Forgotten Memories' by Simon Crabtree 1941 British Library
- 'Bedtime Stories' (Little Book nr2) by Enid Blyton, 1942, Coloured wraps & black & white line illustrations by Vernon Soper http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- 'Hector Tumbler Investigates' by Simon Crabtree; Illustrated by Vernon Soper : 'amusing black & white cartoons'
- 'Muddy Paws' by K D Nason 1944 British Library
- 'Trapped in the Jungle' (1945 Hollis & Carter) - ill.Vernon Soper
- 'Dragon Island by Joyce Alice Bissell Thomas, 1946 with 6 colour plates by Vernon L Soper, published London British Library
- 'Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales' by H C Anderson, with an introduction by Margaret W J Jeffrey 1954 British Library
- 'Twenty-Six Radio Stories', by Arthur Russell, pub London: The 'Boy's Own Paper' Office: no date) illust. by Vernon Soper
- 'The Mysterious Affair At Styles', Agatha Christie, 'covers printed in full colour with a striking image by Vernon Soper of a hand reaching for a bottle of poison from a medical cabinet'
- 'Funland Story Book', pub Dean, Lon [no date]. Illustrated by Vernon Soper, Colour Fontis....


Re the above where it mentions and in actual fact Eileens Grandfathers her Paternal Grandfather ( George Robert Soper) was a law Clerk and then became a Horicultural Sundries Man and her Paternal Grt Grandfather ( John Henry Soper) was a Farmer.

George Soper and his wife Ada Soper nee Lahany left their 2 daughters a nice legacy in the sum 6,479 9s 4p

Her maternal Grandfather Patrick Lahany was a Boot Manufacturer and he was Irish and he left quite a legacy to his wife and family in the sum of 13,171 7s 10p

Hope I havent bored you with all these details I found and I will try and post a newspaper clipping of Eileen Soper when she was 15 and was mentioned in the times along with a sketch I found of Eva Lillian which Eileen skethed of her sister.


Cheers and Gingerbeers
Maureen

This is the sketch of Eva Lillian Soper done by her sister Eileen Alice Soper....

What a beautiful drawing, and even more amazing considering she was only 15 at the time.

Eileen loved animals and birds and with her father and sister made their house and large
garden a haven for wildlife. Birds would be hand-fed by Eileen inside the house and bird
and mouse nests were left undisturbed. She made many drawings of wildlife from her
observations. There is a book about her life called 'Wildings - The Secret Garden of Eileen
Soper' by Duff Hart-Davis that includes photos of the family and drawings by Eillen.

Here is a link showing an oil painting done by Eileen Soper when she was 20 years old of a gentelman called Eric Liddell an 1925 Olympian athlete and also family friend,its a very interesting read as well........


http://www.andrewgrahamdixon.com/archive/readArticle/38" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A very distinguished portrait, Maureen. It could almost be of an older Gary Russell!

Yes I can see the likeness of Gary in him