Comic Postcards TOM BROWNE (d age39) signed pic(scarce)

Comic Postcards TOM BROWNE (d age39) signed pic(scarce) 1996 marks the centenary of the first cartoon strip in a British comic, which appeared in Chips. The artist was Tom Browne, then at the beginning of his career as one of the most popular comic and poster artists of the late Victorian and Edwardian period. Tom Browne was born to a working family in Nottingham in 1870. The poverty of his upbringing, especially his early teenage years as an errand boy, had a profound affect on his drawing style. He was apprenticed for a few years to a lithographic printers, although his real interests lay in sketching. A few early successes encouraged Browne to move to London. His first major commission was to draw the front page of Chips. It was an immediate success. His characters of Weary Willie and Tired Tim were still being drawn in the 1950's, decades after the death of their creator. He soon became a sought-after cartoonist and comic artist. Tom Browne cartoons appeared in Punch, The Tatler and many other periodicals of the day. He was much in demand as a commercial artist producing postcards, posters, showcards and smaller designs for advertisers. Tom Browne was also a painter and water-colourist. Unlike his sketches and cartoons, many of which remain as fresh and funny as the day they were drawn, his paintings are considered sentimental and old fashioned today. Tom Browne was an astute businessman. He established a lithographic printing firm in Nottingham in 1897 and employed a number of other illustrators. Tom Browne died of cancer at the tragically early age of 39 in 1910 and is buried in Shooter's Hill Cemetery. He influenced many cartoonists of the day, including Bruce Bairnsfather, Dudley Watkins, and Leo Baxendale. Echoes of his cheeky school children can still be discerned in Beano and Dandy today. Tom Browne submitted artwork for some of his postcards and commercial art to Stationer's Hall for copyright purposes. These now form part of PRO class COPY 1. A selection was made of this material for an exhibition at The National Archives in 1996. Copies of these items and other Tom Browne material can be obtained from The National Archives Image Library. [edit] overall size 3.1/2 x 5.1/2 - generally good condition - signed neatly by hand - Postage and packing is Free Of Charge if 3 or more items are purchased within 48 hours (this does not include our soft mounted items), otherwise normal First Class Mail and Insurance (UK only) against loss to the value of £25.00 UK £2.00 - Europe £2.20 - USA, Canada, Australia etc £2.50. Should insurance be required for any overseas shipments this can be arranged at an extra cost. We can also combine items to save on postage. We take cheques, PayPal etc - If you dont like the terms then please dont bid - good luck if you do bid. KEEP MY SITE BOOKMARKED AS MOST ITEMS ARE OFFERED WITH A BUY IT NOW CHANCE. - YOU WILL ALSO FIND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST ITEMS WHICH ARE BEING SOLD AT A FIXED PRICE.