The Illustrated London News

346, Strand, London W.C.2

The Illustrated London News was one of the 'Great Eight' magazines published in London in the early 20th century and was the sister magazine of The Sketch, which also featured Blampied's work in the 1930s. The ILN, as it was known, mainly published news, as its name suggests, rather than society gossip, and made its reputation by printing engravings of events that were initially transferred from drawings onto boxwood to be printed. When photo-lithography was invented it was one of the first weekly papers to print photographs of news events.

The magazine was owned and edited from 1900 to 1963 by Sir Bruce Ingram, who amassed a large collection of art, mainly seascapes and naval scenes, many of which he gave to the Maritime Museum at Greenwich. In March 1933 the magazine featured eight drypoint prints by Blampied and this may have led Ingram to commission Blampied to undertake a series of monochrome drawings of British life. A total of 119 drawings by Blampied appeared in 51 issues of the ILN between 17th June 1933 and 6th October 1934, a period of 68 weeks in several series: 'London types', 'Leaves from life', 'British children', 'The countryside', 'Our amateur politicians', 'London audiences' and 'The holiday makers'. Blampied then provided drawings for Christmas issues of the ILN from 1936 to 1939. Some of Bruce Ingram's collection of Blampied's drawings were sold in Jersey in 1964 after his death. The ILN also featured some of Blampied's art, rather than his illustrations, in 1921, 1929, 1933 and 1937.

A typical cover of the magazine from the 1930s

Published: >7,150 issues: weekly from May 1842 (vol 1) to 24 April 1971 (vol 258); monthly to December 1988 (vol 278); 6 issues a year until 1993; two issues a year until 1999; then occasionally until May 2003, when it died.

Price: 1 shilling in the 1930s; Christmas issues 2 shillings.

Numbering: Each volume contained 26 weekly issues for 6 months from January to June then July to December. There were usually special numbers in the Summer and at Christmas. All issues were numbered consecutively except the special issues which were given the number of the previous edition plus a letter A.

Pages: 40 pages in the 1930s. All pages were numbered consecutively within each volume.

Dimensions: 365 x 258 in the 1930s

Editor: Bruce Ingram (1877-1963)

Printer: The Illustrated London News and Sketch Ltd, Milford Lane, London, W.C.

Blampied issues: 62

Type: MO = monochrome drawing; CO = colour drawing; the number indicates the number of drawings or pages.

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— 1913 —

Issue: 8-Nov-1913, vol. 143, no. 3890, page i. Motor show number Price: 6d. Type: BW1. Title: The Lady of the Car.

— 1914 —

Issue: 4-Jul-1914, vol. 145, no. 3924, page 14. Price: 6d. Type: BW1. Title: A great society sporting centre at the heart of London. Watching the polo: a gay gathering at Ranelagh during a match.

[This illustration was drawn in colour because it is reproduced in a lavish programme of social events published by the Savoy Hotel, which can be seen here.]

— 1921 —

Issue: 16-Apr-1921, vol. ?, no. ?, page 503. Price: 6d. Type: BW2. Title: One touch of nature in the coal dispute: pit ponies. Drawings by E. Blampied.

— 1929 —

Issue: 18-May-1929, vol. 174, no. 4700, page 866. Price: 6d. Type: DP1, OP1. Title: The art of Edmund Blampied: an etching entitles 'Morning gossips', a delightful study of farmyard life, included in his new exhibition. Morlandesque in its feeling for animal life: 'Under a bridge, Paris' - an oil painting by Edmund Blampied in his new exhibition.

— 1933 —

Issue: 11-Mar-1933, vol. 182, no. 4899, page 356-357. Price: 1/-. Type: DP8. Title: Drypoints by one of the greatest character artists of our day: Blampied in sympathetic and sardonic mood.

[These eight drypoints preceded the drawings shown below, mostly in sepia ink and watercolour, that Blampied was commissioned to do by the Editor and Proprietor of the magazine, Sir Bruce Ingram. The drypoint 'The day's news' was never published; 'Un precieux' was published in 1935 by Colnaghi.]

Issue: 17-Jun-1933, vol. 182, no. 4913, page 874-875.Summer Number Price: 1/-. Type: MO8. Title: The English Gavarni looks on life: London types by Blampied. Series 1: Summer Season studies.

[The first eight drawings were reproduced over two facing pages.]

Issue: 24-Jun-1933, vol. 182, no. 4914, page 927. Price: 1/-. Type: MO4. Title: The English Daumier looks on life: London types by Blampied. Series 2: the life of the people.

Issue: 1-Jul-1933, vol. 183, no. 4915, page 7. Price: 1/-. Type: MO4. Title: The English Daumier looks on Life: English types by Blampied. Series 3: business and leisure.

Issue: 8-Jul-1933, vol. 183, no. 4916, page 45. Price: 1/-. Type: MO4. Title: The English Daumier looks on Life: London types by Blampied. Series 4: the life of parks and streets.

Issue: 15-Jul-1933, vol. 183, no. 4917, page 93. Price: 1/-. Type: MO4. Title: The English Daumier looks on life: London types by Blampied. Series 5: east end and west end.

Issue: 5-Aug-1933, vol. 183, no. 4920, page 216. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from Life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 12-Aug-1933, vol. 183, no. 4921, page 237. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from Life: a news series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 19-Aug-1933, vol. 183, no. 4922, page 281. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from Life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 26-Aug-1933, vol. 183, no. 4923, page 329. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 2-Sep-1933, vol. 183, no. 4924, page 355. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

['The Vicar loses his bishop' was also done as an oil painting. It was shown at the Royal Society of British Artists Summer Exhibition in 1939, priced at 60 guineas.]

Issue: 9-Sep-1933, vol. 183, no. 4925, page 405. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

[The man at the back of the class on the right is Blampied's friend, John St Helier Lander.]

Issue: 16-Sep-1933, vol. 183, no. 4926, page 441. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from Life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 23-Sep-1933, vol. 183, no. 4927, page 475. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life : a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 30-Sep-1933, vol. 183, no. 4928, page 499. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 7-Oct-1933, vol. 183, no. 4929, page 549. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from Life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 14-Oct-1933, vol. 183, no. 4930, page 602. Price: 1/-. Type: CO2. Title: Leaves from life - in France: studies by Edmund Blampied (exhibited recently at Messrs Walter Bull and Sanders, 23, Cork Street, W.1.).

Issue: 21-Oct-1933, vol. 183, no. 4931, page 653. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves fom life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 28-Oct-1933, vol. 183, no. 4932, page 695. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves From Life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 4-Nov-1933, vol. 183, no. 4933, page 735. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life: a news series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 11-Nov-1933, vol. 183, no. 4934, page 771. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 18-Nov-1933, vol. 183, no. 4935, page 819. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Leaves from life: new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 25-Nov-1933, vol. 183, no. 4936, page 849. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: British children: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 2-Dec-1933, vol. 183, no. 4937, page 895. Price: 1/-. Type: BW1MO1. Title: British children: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 9-Dec-1933, vol. 183, no. 4938, page 949. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: British children: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 16-Dec-1933, vol. 183, no. 4939, page 979. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: British children: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 23-Dec-1933, vol. 183, no. 4940, page 1017. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: British children: a new series of studies by Edmund Blampied.

Issue: 30-Dec-1933, vol. 183, no. 4941, page 1059. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: The Countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

— 1934 —

Issue: 6-Jan-1934, vol. 184, no. 4942, page 31. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

Issue: 13-Jan-1934, vol. 184, no. 4943, page 61. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

Issue: 20-Jan-1934, vol. 184, no. 4944, page 105. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drwaings by Blampied.

Issue: 27-Jan-1934, vol. 184, no. 4945, page 127. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

Issue: 3-Feb-1934, vol. 184, no. 4946, page 171. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

Issue: 10-Feb-1934, vol. 184, no. 4947, page 209. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

Issue: 17-Feb-1934, vol. 184, no. 4948, page 243. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

Issue: 3-Mar-1934, vol. 184, no. 4950, page 321. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: The countryside: a fourth series of drawings by Blampied.

Issue: 10-Mar-1934, vol. 184, no. 4951, page 369. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Our amateur politicians: a fifth Blampied series (Drawings specially made for the "Illustrated London News" by Edmund Blampied).

Issue: 17-Mar-1934, vol. 184, no. 4952, page 415. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Our amateur politicians: a fifth Blampied series.

Issue: 24-Mar-1934, vol. 184, no. 4953, page 435. Price: 1/-. Type: MO1. Title: The boat race as Blampied saw it: tow path types.

Issue: 31-Mar-1934, vol. 184, no. 4954, page 497. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Our amateur politicians: a fifth Blampied series.

Issue: 7-Apr-1934, vol. 184, no. 4955, page 523. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: Our amateur politicians: a fifth Blampied series.

Issue: 14-Apr-1934, vol. 184, no. 4956, page 573. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: Our amateur politicians: a fifth Blampied series.

Issue: 21-Apr-1934, vol. 184, no. 4957, page 601. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: London audiences as Blampied sees them: "the stalls".

Issue: 5-May-1934, vol. 184, no. 4959, page 685. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: London audiences as Blampied sees them: "The gallery".

Issue: 12-May-1934, vol. 184, no. 4960, page 725. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: London audiesnces as Blampied sees them: "the boxes".

Issue: 19-May-1934, vol. 184, no. 4961, page 767. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: London audiences as Blampied sees them: "the dress circle".

Issue: 18-Aug-1934, vol. 185, no. 4974, page 243. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: "The holiday-makers": a seasonable series of Blampied drawings.

Issue: 25-Aug-1934, vol. 185, no. 4975, page 281. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: "The holiday-makers": a seasonable series by Blampied.

Issue: 1-Sep-1934, vol. 185, no. 4976, page 321. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: "The holiday-makers": a seasonable series of Blampied drawings.

Issue: 15-Sep-1934, vol. 185, no. 4978, page 395. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: The English countryside in harvest time: horse-power (Drawings specially done for the "Illustrated London News" by Edmund Blampied).

Issue: 6-Oct-1934, vol. 185, no. 4981, page 503. Price: 1/-. Type: BW2. Title: In the park: character studies by Edmund Blampied.

— 1935 —

Issue: 30-Mar-1935, vol. 186, no. 5006, page 527. Price: 1/-. Type: MO2. Title: The sport of Kings - to be royally honoured on Silver Jubilee Day. Flat racing - By Blampied.

[A drypoint of the scene of racing horses is known.]

— 1936 —

Issue: 18-Nov-1936, vol. 189, no. 5091A, page 26-27. Christmas Number 1936 Price: 2/-. Type: CO4. Title: Keeping Christmas: Fare and Fun in suburbia (2). Keeping Christmas: Flourishes in Mayfair.

Issue: 18-Nov-1936, vol. 189, no. 5091A, page 39-40. Christmas Number 1936 Price: 2/-. Type: BW2. Author: Norah Cotterill. Title: A business arrangement.

— 1937 —

Issue: 8-May-1937, vol. 190, no. 5116, page 779.Coronation Week Double Number Price: 2/-. Type: CO1. Title: His Majesty the King in Coronation Robes. From the picture by John St Helier Lander R.O.I. and Edmund Blampied R.E.

[This is the only example of a collaboration between Blampied and John Lander, one of his oldest friends. There are at least two different versions of this painting because Lander produced duplicates for display in loyal institutions. The version reproduced in the American magazine The Spur is the same, but the version printed on the cover of the French magazine L'Illustration (which is in Bristol City Art Gallery) is slightly different, most notably the position of the King's hands.]

Issue: 17-Nov-1937, vol. 191, no. 5143A, page 15-18. Christmas Number 1937 Price: 2/-. Type: BW4. Author: E.D. Dickinson. Title: Introducing Dibber.

— 1938 —

Issue: 23-Nov-1938, vol. 193, no. 5196A, page 43-46,56. Christmas Number 1938 Price: 2/-. Type: BW5. Author: Edward D. Dickinson Title: Dibber on duty.

— 1939 —

Issue: Dec-1939, vol. 195, no. 0A, page 34-41. Christmas number 1939 Price: 2/-. Type: MO4. Author: Edward D. Dickinson Title: Dibber's good deed.

— 1951 —

Issue: 15-Nov-1951, vol. 219, no. 5873A, page 33-34. Christmas number 1951 Price: 3/6. Type: MO12. Title: Glimpses of pre-revolution London: life between the two world wars.

[Reproductions of 12 of Blampied's drawings from the 1930s, with a peevish caption.]