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Inspiration from Artists week 60 weekend Bonus Artist Donald McGill

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Welcome to this weeks bonus artist , I have thought hard about featuring this artist as I am a bit concerned some people might be offended . But I decided to go ahead as it’s the artist that we are looking at and his work apology in advance to anyone who is offended. Donald Fraser Gould McGill 1875 - 1962 born in London , he was a English graphic artist whose name became synonymous with the genre of saucy postcard, particularly those associated with the seaside. He has been called the ‘ King of saucy postcard’ and his work is collected and appreciated for his artistic skill, it’s power of social observation and earthly sen eco f humour. At the hight of his career he was paid three guineas a design , but now his original artwork can fetch thousands of pounds.He was a naval draughtsman until his career in postcard’s accidental began in 1904, when a in-law encouraged him after seeing a illustrated get well card he made for a nephew. Within a year it was his full time occupation, he studied art and married the daughter of the owner of Crowders Music Hall in Greenwich. I hope you enjoy his artwork and the humour some fro a bygone era, but still quite humorous. Information taken fro Wikipedia  Well here goes , I will  remove the thread if people are upset or offended. 
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Marjorie Firth

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You’d be a bit uptight if you were offended by these Paul 😁 so don’t worry. They’re a bit “ pre-Bamforth” postcards which I still find funny, all “double-entendray” as they used to say on “Round the Horn”. Good to see something a little less serious.
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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Thanks Marjorie I thought I’d better offer as some people might find the sexist etc. 

Sylvia Evans

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Ooooh Paul "You are dreadful".  They are fabulous.  I bet friend Lewis was weaned on such as these. 
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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These are the originals - they got much 'worse', or in my opinion 'better', in later years.  I have a grubby mind; my favourite was one in which a plump matron called out to a workman "painter!  I want you to touch up where my husband put his hand last night".  Nothing like a bit o' filf.  
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Lewis Cooper

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Something for the weekend, sir?   Yes Sylvia, I guess I was weaned on these.  I've drawn since my earliest days.  The Beano and the Dandy were my main sources of inspiration as a nipper, but Donald McGill's postcards ran a close third...because they were naughty.  As I recall, every newsagent shop anywhere that sold postcards had a few McGills, but it was at the seaside resorts they went into overdrive.  I wondered how he thought them up.  In fact you'll find he often repeated the same joke with a different image.  When you see photos of the man himself, he looks like a stereotype 1950's bank manager. Many are fairly innocuous like this... ...he used this 'theme' in many of his cards...here's two..... Others were more blatant, I think many were banned....which instantly made them collectibles.  Albums of McGill postcards fetch top prices at auctions even now.   Another postcard artist working at Bamfords at the same time was Arnold Taylor, if anything he was worse than McGill in the saucy stakes (or better, depending on your viewpoint). Not to everyone's taste of course.  But I love 'em.  I saw some of McGill's original art in a museum in Ryde, Isle of Wight...they were about A4 size, and little gems. We have to remember that postcards were the e-mail of their day.  How much better to get a postcard than an email.
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Peter Smith

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I love 'em!  Ronnie Barker was an avid collector and an authority on the postcards, he published books about them and other similar stuff. Naturally I have copies!

Jenny Harris

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These are fun!  Remember them, especially from childhood holidays at the seaside.

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by Jenny Harris

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Lewis Cooper

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I have one of Ronnie Barker's books.  All illustrations from his vast collection.  Postcards, odd vintage adverts, film stars, and lots of Victoriana in the same vein.  A gem of a book.  He produced a lot of these books back in the 70's based on his collection, all out of print now.  I found mine at a car boot years ago. I wish I'd collected postcards back in their heyday.  They are frequently featured on shows like FLOG IT, those full of the McGill style cards fetch top money.
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Marjorie Firth

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We had Ronnie Barker’s Book of Bathing Beauties I remember - Bamforths cards were published in Holmfirth where we lived. Memories eh? And in the days when you sent postcards while on holiday it was always the rudest one you could find. 

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by Marjorie Firth

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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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My two youngest granddaughters still sent me a postcard not like these  I hasten to add. They think it’s great writing and posting it , unfortunately they usually come a week or more after they come home. All that business gone , selling , designing, etc sad in many ways, was always good to get one from someone on holiday. 

Tessa Gwynne

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Well- certainly different to Corot!! They are very much of their time aren’t they, and good for a chuckle.  Would be interesting to see if he did any ‘normal art’ . I see he was a naval draughtsman, bit of a change to these! I found a website for the DM museum on the Isle of Wight, with a very interesting bio of him and his long career. At the end he says he wasn’t proud of his work, and would really like to have done something better, like painting or sporting pictures.  Quite sad really, but interesting.

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