Bruce Bairnsfather Old Bill book cover

Bruce Bairnsfather: Stratford’s own cartoonist

Mark Warby 

Monday 17 June, 6.00 pm - White Swan
Mark first began researching Bruce Bairnsfather’s life and work in 1979 at the age of 15, for a school history project. His research has now continued for more than four decades, in which time he has become recognised as the leading authority on his subject. He set up the official website www.brucebairnsfather.org.uk as well as dedicated pages on social media, and in September 2005 arranged for a plaque commemorating Bairnsfather to be put up at his former home at Bishopton, and for this to be unveiled by the late cartoonist Bill Tidy, MBE. Mark was an historical consultant to the RSC for their winter 2014-15 production The Christmas Truce, and also co-curated a major exhibition on Bairnsfather at the theatre, featuring original items from his personal collection and archive.

Mark’s talk on Bruce Bairnsfather will highlight the cartoonist’s strong connections with Stratford-upon-Avon: from when his family moved to Bishopton in 1904 through to WW1 including his time at Trinity College (The Army School) in Church Street, early artistic efforts with commercial poster designs, involvement in local amateur theatrics and his links with some of the characters of ‘old Stratford’ such as Marie Corelli, who took a personal interest in his career. He'll also be looking at how the success of Bairnsfather’s cartoons of life in the trenches led to almost overnight fame during WW1 and his subsequent career through to WW2.

Watch the presentation here (starts 2 mins in).

Report on the talk

Mark was given a project at school which has turned into a life-long interest! Bruce Bairnsfather was born in India in 1887 and in 1895 he was sent to England to live with an aunt and uncle. He was at the United Services College in Westward Ho! from 1898-1904 and was the school cartoonist. Then his parents returned to England and bought a house, Victoria Villas (ex the spa hotel in Bishopton), in Stratford. Marie Corelli took an interest in his work and his drawings were also in the Trinity College (army school, 1906-07) magazine and on the walls. His style was humorous from the start. He resigned from the 5th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment to go to art school.

He obtained a job in a local firm of light fitters, Spensers, and did work at the Memorial Theatre. His first commercial cartoon was for Player’s Navy Cut, and then Marie Corelli introduced him to Thomas Lipton to draw tea adverts. He also did work for Keen’s Mustard, Fry’s Cocoa and Beecham’s Pills. He was very happy in Stratford taking part in the Shakespeare festival in 1907 and also did drawings for the Seven Ages of Man and George and the Dragon.He was involved in his parents’ Bishopton Empire ('pop-up') Theatre, and his artistic talents were used to the full as a comedian, including female impersonations, such as Widow Twankee in 1911 and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves; he was an actor and also designed the programme. In 1913 he was in Robinson Crusoe, as Mrs. Crusoe at Compton Verney.

In 1914 he re-joined his regiment and served in the trenches in France. He continued to draw on the walls and on scraps of paper where he was living. His 'Fragments from France' cartoon started there. In the famous Christmas truce, he swapped buttons with a German soldier. In 1915 the Herald published his “My Dugout” drawings and poetry. The cottage where he was living was nearly destroyed and subsequently a cartoon, 'Where did that one go?' was sent home and published, and he received £2 in 1915. He also sent some cartoons to The Bystander. He was then sent home with shell shock for a year.

By this time, he was very famous, eg, his “If you know of a better ’ole, go to it” has been used 400 times. A million copies were sold in three years. His famous 'Old Bill' character was a composite of the gritty type soldier he served with, not one person. Churchill remarked on his skill. In 1915 he returned to light duties, first on the Isle of Wight, then in 1916, the Somme in France. He was Officer Cartoonist for the War Office for propaganda and he visited several places. His work appeared on a variety of merchandise, even on china, cigarette packets and he became very rich, setting up a studio in Stratford. In 1916 his 'Bullets and Billets' sold 50,000 copies. One of the originals was sent to Stratford in 1917. There was a sketch show in London called “Bairnsfatherland”, and films were also made. He was now known worldwide. He was also a benefactor to local causes in Stratford.

'Old Bill through the Ages' featured Shakespeare, and the 'Better Ole' was made into a film. In 1919 he undertook a lecture tour of the UK, and he also moved to Aylesbury to be nearer to London. His parents stayed in Stratford for a while. He visited and lived in Australia and America, he was married and had a daughter. He did 12 adverts for Flowers Brewery in the 1920s. Madame Tussauds also made a waxwork of his famous 'Old Bill' character. 1n 1936 he was on television – the first cartoonist to draw live on TV.

In WW2 he was re-employed as a cartoonist for the US and British war offices, 1942-44. He produced another 'better’ole' in 1943. In his later life he produced landscapes and he died 29th September 1959 aged 72. On 10 September 2009, Bill Tidy, the cartoonist, unveiled a blue plaque at the house in Bishopton.

Report by Helen Elliott.