Robinson, W. Heath (William Heath), 1872-1944

William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) was born into a family of artists and craftsmen in Islington, North London. After a failed attempt to establish himself as a landscape painter, he became an illustrator, joining his father and older brothers Tom and Charles in the trade. His early work includes illustrations for Hans Christen Andersen's fairy tales (1897), Don Quixote (1897 and 1902), The Arabian nights (1899), and the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe (1900); a brief association with the publisher Grant Richards led to the publication of a children's book which Robinson both illustrated and wrote, The adventures of Uncle Lubin (1902). More ambitious illustrations include those for Shakespeare's Twelfth night (1908) and Midsummer night's dream (1914), Kipling's A song of the English (1909), Kingsley's The water-babies (1915), and the works of Rabelais (1904). After World War I, the market for finely illustrated books declined and Robinson turned toward humorous subjects, producing illustrations for weeklies including The tattler, The bystander, and The sketch. Today, he is best known for his drawings of overly complicated machines that carry out simple and often ridiculous tasks; the contraptions known as Rube Goldberg machines in the United States are referred to as Heath Robinsons in Britain.

From the description of [Unpublished drawings and proofs for the child's Arabian nights] / W. Heath Robinson. [1903?] (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 65563571

Biography

William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) was born into a family of artists and craftsmen in Islington, North London. After a failed attempt to establish himself as a landscape painter, he became an illustrator, joining his father and older brothers Tom and Charles in the trade. His early work includes illustrations for Hans Christen Andersen's Fairy Tales (1897), Don Quixote (1897 and 1902), The Arabian Nights (1899), and The Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe (1900); a brief association with the publisher Grant Richards led to the publication of a children's book which Robinson both illustrated and wrote, The Adventures of Uncle Lubin (1902). More ambitious illustrations include those for Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" (1908) and "Midsummer Night's Dream" (1914), Kipling's A Song of the English (1909), Kingsley's The Water-Babies (1915), and The Works of Rabelais (1904). After World War I, the market for finely illustrated books declined and Robinson turned toward humorous subjects, producing illustrations for weeklies including The Tattler, The Bystander, and The Sketch . Today, he is best known for his drawings of overly complicated machines that carry out simple and often ridiculous tasks; the contraptions known as Rube Goldberg machines in the United States are referred to as Heath Robinsons in Britain.

From the guide to the W. Heath Robinson, The Child's Arabian Nights, [1903?], (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)