Roger’s
Artwork Collection
I have in my Biggles artwork collection half a dozen original W. E. Johns book cover paintings – all of which are currently FOR SALE
E-mail
me for further details
WHERE THE GOLDEN EAGLE SOARS – ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY COLIN GIBSON
This
is the original cover artwork for the Captain W. E. Johns book –
WHERE
THE GOLDEN EAGLE SOARS by Colin Gibson.
This
book was published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1960.
This
was framed and glazed by myself after having a professional mount cut to size.
The
picture is approximately 23 cms by 29 cms (including the spine)
and
the frame size is approximately 37 cms by 47 cms.
Signed
by the artist.
KINGS
OF SPACE – ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY LESLIE STEAD
This
is the original cover artwork for the Captain W. E. Johns book –
KINGS
OF SPACE by Leslie Stead
This
book was published by Hodder and Stoughton on 13th May 1954
This
has been professionally framed and glazed.
The
picture is an astonishing size compared to the actual real book cover.
It
is approximately 50 cms by 59 cms (including the spine), which is more than
twice the size
of
‘Where the Golden Eagle Soars’! The
frame size is approximately 63 cms by 74 cms.
The
painting
itself has suffered some minor surface abrasion which can been seen in my
picture of
it
but it just looks incredible on the wall due to the sheer size of it. The artwork is unsigned.
WORRALS
FLIES AGAIN – ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY LESLIE STEAD
This
is the original cover artwork for the Captain W. E. Johns book –
WORRALS
FLIES AGAIN by Leslie Stead
This
book was published by Hodder and Stoughton in September 1942 so the artwork is
some 67 years old! Although this was
the second Worrals book (and my own personal favourite) published in date order
it actually contains the third Worrals story
(‘Worrals
Carries On’ was published in October 1942 but had been serialised earlier)
You
will notice that the original artwork extends further than the parts used for
the actual book dust jacket (picture shown above) and this shows a fantastic
clear “Stead” signature.
The
artwork showing is approximately 28 cms by 47 cms and
The frame size is approximately 46 cms by 66 cms
I
had this professionally framed and it cost me an astonishing £115.00 (I have
the receipt to prove it) because it is framed with “Schott Mirogard” glass,
which is virtually invisible.
You
can read all about the glass here http://www.schott.com/architecture/english/products/non_reflective_glass/mirogard/
BIGGLES
AND THE BLACK MASK – ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY LESLIE STEAD
This is the original cover artwork for the Captain W. E.
Johns book –
BIGGLES
AND THE BLACK MASK by Leslie Stead
This
book was published by Hodder and Stoughton on 22nd June 1964
A
copy of the book cover is shown below for comparison
The
artwork is fantastic – there is a slight camera flash mark just to the right of
the masked man’s left temple, which is not on the artwork. There is a mark on the artwork under the
number 69 where it appears that the “Hodder and Stoughton” chess logo has been
removed.
The artwork is approximately 31 cms by 37 cms and
The frame size is approximately 43 cms by 51 cms.
The image is one of the most striking of all the Biggles covers and is unusual in that it depicts something that is not in the book. I was expecting the masked man to have a giant face – on a screen or something – when I first read the book – but of course he is merely normal size and the cover has merely exaggerated the scene for dramatic purposes.
Leslie Stead’s Biggles covers are astonishingly rare and obviously quite unique.
Professionally framed and glazed. This is unsigned.
BIGGLES – AIR ACE – ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY ANDREW SKILLETER
This is the original cover artwork for the first edition
of the Captain W. E. Johns book –
BIGGLES
– AIR ACE: The Uncollected Stories by Andrew Skilleter
This
book was published by Norman Wright in 1999 and is the last ever “Biggles”
first edition bringing together all of the previously otherwise uncollected
short stories.
A
copy of the book cover is shown below for comparison
T
The
artwork is approximately 27 cms by 36 cms and
The frame size is approximately 41 cms by 53 cms
I
had this professionally framed with “Schott Mirogard” glass, which is virtually
invisible.
You
can read all about the glass here http://www.schott.com/architecture/english/products/non_reflective_glass/mirogard/
This
was framed at the same time as “Biggles Does Some Homework” – see below
Making them an identical pair of the exact same size. Signed and dated by the artist.
BIGGLES DOES SOME
HOMEWORK – ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY ANDREW SKILLETER
This is the original cover artwork for the first edition
of the Captain W. E. Johns book –
BIGGLES
DOES SOME HOMEWORK by Andrew Skilleter
This
book was published by Norman Wright in 1997 and was the last ever “Biggles”
book written by W. E. Johns. He died
whilst writing it so it is uncompleted.
This is one of the rarest and most sought after “Biggles” books making
the original artwork painting very valuable.
A copy of the book cover is
shown below for comparison
The
artwork is approximately 27 cms by 36 cms and
The frame size is approximately 41 cms by 53 cms
I
had this professionally framed with “Schott Mirogard” glass, which is virtually
invisible.
You
can read all about the glass here http://www.schott.com/architecture/english/products/non_reflective_glass/mirogard/
This
was framed at the same time as “Biggles – Air Ace” – see above
Making them an identical pair of the exact same size. Signed and dated by the artist.
BIGGLES CUTS IT FINE
ARTWORK BY LESLIE “STUDIO” STEAD
This is an
original artwork illustration from the Captain W. E. Johns book –
BIGGLES
CUTS IT FINE credited to “Studio” Stead
This
book was published by Hodder and Stoughton on 4th March 1954
and
is the artwork from the illustration opposite Page 65
“We’ve
come a bit late to help this poor blighter . . . .”
This
has been professionally framed and glazed in such a clever way that the
original artists handwritten caption can be seen at the back of the picture
through a special glass back.
One
of the most striking internal Biggles book illustrations.
ORIGINAL LESLIE
STEAD ILLUSTRATION OF BIGGLES – FAMOUSLY SPOOFED BY MONTY PYTHON
I
apologise for the flash reflection on this picture but this was the best I could
get.
What
we have here is quite unique. I have
framed this myself after having the mount professionally cut to the exact size
I needed.
This
centrepiece is an original Leslie Stead painting of “Biggles” done for the
Pepys Biggles Card Game released around 1953.
What
Stead did was to repaint an original line illustration from “Biggles Sweeps the
Desert” first published in October 1942.
The
line drawing is on page 155 and is captioned “To Algy he said, “So long – see
you later”. Biggles climbed out, and
then dropped off into space”.
I
have taken an original page from that book and framed that on the top left (NB
– The page is original, NOT the line drawing) and then below that I have framed
one of the original playing cards from the game depicting the Leslie Stead
painting.
The
centrepiece is the original painting by Leslie Stead. Original paintings of Biggles himself by Leslie Stead are rare
and much sought after.
There
is a mark on the original painting where the number “3” must have been stuck on,
as it has left some slight residue.
To
the right I have then framed an original page from “THE BRAND NEW MONTY PYTHON
PAPPERBOK” published around 1972.
This
is page 4 and is entitled “Biggles is Extremely Silly” (1938) and is a spoof
Biggles short story which I believe to have been written by Michael Palin.
It
is illustrated with a cartoon of Biggles stepping in a cowpat – presumably by
Terry Gilliam – and clearly taken directly from this particular Stead painting.
The
central Stead artwork of Biggles is approximately 24 cms by 36 cms and
The entire frame
size is massive, being approximately 93 cms by 63 cms
Merely as an
aside, I would just mention that I had at one stage considered giving this to
Michael Palin from Monty Python as he is known to be a Biggles fan
himself. I was hoping to interview him
for my Biggles web site. I had in mind
giving it to him as a “thank you” but sadly I have been unable to interview
him.
There is some
scratching to the wood at the bottom of the picture frame, which I had intended
to cover with a presentation plaque but I never had it made.
And
that completes my art collection!
I
apologise for the quality of some of the pictures of the artwork but it is very
hard to photograph items with glass in front of them!
You
really need to view them to see the excellent detail, colour and clarity.
E-mail
me for price details at this e-mail address
Click
below to return to my main W. E. Johns page