Alfred Bestall
Alfred Edmeades "Fred" Bestall,
Early life
As a schoolboy, Bestall attended Rydal Mount in Colwyn Bay from 1904 to 1911. He won a scholarship to the Birmingham Central School (later College) of Art and later attended the LCC Central School of Arts and Crafts in Camden. He served in World War I in the British Army in 1915 in Flanders, where he transported troops in red, double-deck London buses.
Professional career
Following the war, Bestall finished his studies at the LCC Central School of Art and was 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, notably around Beddgelert, where Bestall’s family had a cottage. He had first visited Beddgelert whilst holidaying with his parents at Trefriw in the Conwy valley in 1912 and 1913.
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.
Personal life
Although living in Surbiton, Surrey, after World War I he regularly holidayed in Nantgwynant, near Beddgelert, and in 1956 bought 'Penlan', a cottage at the foot of Mynydd Sygun, in Beddgelert.
After the formation of the British Origami Society in 1967, Bestall took an active interest, including serving as its president for many years, until his death.
In 1985, Bestall was honoured by the Queen Elizabeth II, who
appointed him to be a Member of the
In May 2006, Bestall was commemorated with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 58 Cranes Park, Surbiton, London, where he lived for 30 years.
He died on January 15, 1986, aged 93, at Wern Nursing Home in Penlan, Wales.
External links
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' favourite children's story was Rupert Bear by Alfred Bestall.)
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