The Sketch, 1939-1951

172, Strand, London, W.C.

Edmund and Marianne Blampied moved to Jersey in December 1938 and rented a large house called 'Baymont' by the harbour at St. Aubin. He maintained contact with The Sketch as his cartoons were published in the Christmas issue of 1939 and in April 1940. Edmund's brother John, who had been acting as his agent since 1919, probably obtained the commissions for him and was selling his work to other magazines because Blampied's only known cartoon published in Punch appeared in May 1939 with a credit to 'J. Blampied', and a cartoon was published in The Tatler in June 1940. But in July 1940 the Island of Jersey was invaded by Nazi Germany and the Channel Islands were occupied for almost five years, so Blampied's work for magazines in London ceased.

The Channel Islands were Liberated in May 1945 and its inhabitants tried to pick up their lives again. In 1946 a few cartoons by Blampied appeared in three issues of The Sketch, but they were very simple. Blampied continued to have cartoons published in Men Only, rather like the cartoon in The Sketch in 1947, but it all petered out in 1951 with the sort of drawing that he would have done for a friend on a rough piece of paper while having tea together. However Blampied's work for The Sketch covered a period of almost 40 years, the longest period for any magazine that published his work.

A simple cartoon (click to enlarge)

— 1939 —

Issue: 15-Nov-1939, vol. 188, no. 2442, p 205. Type: MO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: So as 'er south side won't be run into during 'black-out' nights, Vicar.

Issue: 24-Nov-1939, vol. 188, no. 2443A, Christmas number, p 48. Type: CO1. Price: 2/-.Author: none. Title: Is 'itler in the fat stock prices?.

Issue: 24-Nov-1939, vol. 188, no. 2443A, Christmas Number, p 18-19. Type: CO4. Price: 2/-.Author: none. Title: Just nonsense. Top L: Coaching to the next one. Bottom L: in the old pub's ghost room. Top R: A spirited mount. Bottom R: A goose-club committee.

— 1940 —

Issue: 3-Apr-1940, vol. 190, no. 2462, p 2. Type: MO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Orders, Sir. . . Refuses 'is bath. . . And Colonel says he jolly well 'as to take it.

— 1946 —

Issue: 29-May-1946, vol. 204, no. 2653, p 284. Type: MO1. Price: 1/.Author: none. Title: Arriere pensee.

Issue: 24-Jul-1946, vol. 205, no. 2657, p 32. Type: MO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: There's one born every minute.

Issue: 25-Dec-1946, vol. 205, no. 2668, p 368. Type: CO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Good Gracious Me.

Issue: 25-Dec-1946, vol. 205, no. 2668, p 369. Type: MO6. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Diary of a Dogsbody.

— 1947 —

Issue: 5-Mar-1947, vol. 206, no. 2672, p 100. Type: MO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: I simply had to put my feet in the soup - they were so cold.

— 1951 —

Issue: 31-Jan-1951, vol. 214, no. 2774, p 90. Type: MO1. Price: 1/-. Author: none. Title: Tweet.