Alfred Bestall
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Alfred Edmeades "Fred" Bestall MBE (Mandalay, Burma, 14 December 1892 – 15 January 1986 in Penlan, Wales) was the author and illustrator of Rupert Bear for the London Daily Express from 1935 to 1965.
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[edit] Early life
Bestall won a scholarship to the Birmingham Central School (later College) of Art and later attended the LCC Central School of Art. He served in WWI in the British Army in 1915 in Flanders, where he drove red, double-deck London buses transporting troops around.
[edit] Professional career
Following the war, Bestall finished his studies at the LCC Central School of Art and was soon hired to illustrate books by Enid Blyton. He also began doing paintings for The Amalgamated Press and did illustrations for Punch and Tatler, as well as for over 50 books.
In 1935, Bestall was selected to take over the Daily Express’s Rupert Bear stories from Mary Tourtel. Bestall improved the stories and plots of Rupert but more importantly he created the most beautifully crafted illustrations in the Rupert Annuals. Much of the landscape in Rupert is inspired by the Snowdonia landscape of North Wales, where Bestall’s family had a cottage. Bestall produced his last Rupert story on July 22, 1965. He retired from the Daily Express in July 1965, but continued creating Annual covers until 1973.
[edit] Personal life
After the formation of the British Origami Society in 1967, Bestall took an active interest, including serving as its president for many years, until he died at age 93.
In 1985, Bestall was honored by the Queen Elizabeth II, who appointed him to be a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Bestall was unable to receive the award in person because he had bone cancer. On his 93rd birthday, The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, sent him a telemessage, which read: "I have heard that you were sadly unable to receive your MBE from the Queen recently. I wanted to send you my congratulations on your award and to wish you a very happy birthday with many happy returns. As a child I well remember your marvelous illustrations of Rupert Bear."
In May 2006, Bestall was commemorated with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 58 Cranes Park, Surbiton, London, where he lived for 30 years.
Bestall died on January 15, 1986, at Wern Nursing Home in Penlan, Wales.
[edit] References
- The Life and Works of Alfred Bestall: Illustrator of Rupert Bear by Caroline Bott (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003)
- The Rupert Bear Story (Channel 4, 9 December 1982) Directed by Terry Jones -- A tribute to Alfred Bestall (Terry Jones is perhaps best known as a member of the Monty Python team and as a scriptwriter. He has also written a number of books for children. Jones' favorite children's story was Rupert Bear by Alfred Bestall.)
