SERIES OVERVIEW:
This series attempts to showcase material by artists whose work might be described as 'decadent' in its style or subject matter.
It does not intend to give anything other than the briefest of biographical overviews (though references for such are given within each entry). It instead aims to present a short selection of illustrations which are either typical of the artists work or perhaps illustrate a text or theme that falls within the remit of the series.
We welcome suggestions or contributions to this ongoing series.
Sydney George Hulme Beaman (1887-1931) was born in London on 1887 and studied at Heatherleys art school in London. His main love seems to have been theatre but he began carving traditional styled wooden toys after WWI when he realized that there would no longer be any supply coming from Germany who had previously been the main manufacturer of such things. His work was of high quality and sold to the upper-end department stores.
Beaman began to draw and write stories around his models which eventually found interest from the publisher John Lane who published his version of 'Aladdin' (1924), 'Illustrated tales for Children' (1925), The Seven Voyages Of Sinbad The Sailor' (1926) and an animal series 'Out of The Ark' (1927 onwards). 'Tales Of Toytown' followed in 1928. The book was seen by the a presenter of BBC radios 'Childrens Hour' and she asked Beaman to write a radio script based on the book. It was first was broadcast July 1929 and was an immediate hit and almost every U.K. child of the 1930s and 40s would have been familiar with the adventures of Larry The Lamb, Dennis The Dachshund, Ernest The Policeman and the other Toytown inhabitants. He wrote 32 episodes, the last written a month before his sudden death from Pneumonia at the age of 44.
ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE
(John Lane/Dodd Mead 1930)
It does not intend to give anything other than the briefest of biographical overviews (though references for such are given within each entry). It instead aims to present a short selection of illustrations which are either typical of the artists work or perhaps illustrate a text or theme that falls within the remit of the series.
We welcome suggestions or contributions to this ongoing series.
Sydney Hulme Beaman
INTRODUCTION
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| Sydney Hulme Beaman (date unknown) |
Sydney George Hulme Beaman (1887-1931) was born in London on 1887 and studied at Heatherleys art school in London. His main love seems to have been theatre but he began carving traditional styled wooden toys after WWI when he realized that there would no longer be any supply coming from Germany who had previously been the main manufacturer of such things. His work was of high quality and sold to the upper-end department stores.
Beaman began to draw and write stories around his models which eventually found interest from the publisher John Lane who published his version of 'Aladdin' (1924), 'Illustrated tales for Children' (1925), The Seven Voyages Of Sinbad The Sailor' (1926) and an animal series 'Out of The Ark' (1927 onwards). 'Tales Of Toytown' followed in 1928. The book was seen by the a presenter of BBC radios 'Childrens Hour' and she asked Beaman to write a radio script based on the book. It was first was broadcast July 1929 and was an immediate hit and almost every U.K. child of the 1930s and 40s would have been familiar with the adventures of Larry The Lamb, Dennis The Dachshund, Ernest The Policeman and the other Toytown inhabitants. He wrote 32 episodes, the last written a month before his sudden death from Pneumonia at the age of 44.
Although a radio series, Beaman had actually carved jointed wooden models of each character and performed every adventure on his own marionette theatre to test them out.
All the illustrations in his books seem to be based on such models and thus have a curious, and distinctive, 'blocky' look. An overview of them can be found at Chris Mullens excellent Fulltable site here.
Seldom mentioned in his bibliography, and rarely seen, is Beamans only known foray into adult illustration, 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' published in 1930 by John Lane (in the UK) and Dodd Mead (in the USA).
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| Beamans' models of Dennis The Dachshund, Ernest The Policeman, The Mayor and Larry The Lamb |
All the illustrations in his books seem to be based on such models and thus have a curious, and distinctive, 'blocky' look. An overview of them can be found at Chris Mullens excellent Fulltable site here.
Seldom mentioned in his bibliography, and rarely seen, is Beamans only known foray into adult illustration, 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' published in 1930 by John Lane (in the UK) and Dodd Mead (in the USA).
It is an unusually handsome volume printed on heavy paper, uncut edges, gilt top edge and oatmeal buckrum binding The illustrations are far more flowing and expressionistic in style compared to his other work and, to my mind, seem to anticipate the style and atmosphere of Tod Brownings 1934 film 'Freaks'. Given the quality of the images and the investment that Lane/Dodd Mead made in the books production it is an enormous pity that they did not commission him for further volumes.
Beaman seemed to have had a special interest the idea of the battle of good and evil within man because in 2008 a typescript purporting to be the biography of Jack the Ripper was discovered amongst his effects.
Beaman seemed to have had a special interest the idea of the battle of good and evil within man because in 2008 a typescript purporting to be the biography of Jack the Ripper was discovered amongst his effects.
In a preface by Beaman he states that he was given a manuscript (now lost) by one 'James Carnac' with the proviso that it would only be made public only after his death. Beaman also states that while preparing the typescript he 'removed and destroyed portions of the manuscript which contained details particularly revolting to me.' It was subsequently published as 'The Autobiography of Jack
The Ripper' by its discoverer and current owner, Alan Hicken of Montacute TV Radio and Toy Museum.
Ripperologists have found no evidence of a 'James Carnac' and various factual inaccuracies reveal it to be a work of fiction which one can only assume is Beamans'. This of course begs the questions as to when it was actually written, why it remained unpublished and whether there is other Beaman material waiting to be discovered. For such a comparatively well known artist it would seem there are some further hidden depths to plumb.
Ripperologists have found no evidence of a 'James Carnac' and various factual inaccuracies reveal it to be a work of fiction which one can only assume is Beamans'. This of course begs the questions as to when it was actually written, why it remained unpublished and whether there is other Beaman material waiting to be discovered. For such a comparatively well known artist it would seem there are some further hidden depths to plumb.
Sydney Hulme Beaman
ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE
(John Lane/Dodd Mead 1930)
