Illustrator & Artist Biographies

Illustrators, artists and photographers have been used by Clarks in their advertising campaigns since the late 19th century. Many of these are now icons of British and international graphic design, illustration, art and photography.

Clarks Tor shoes, Freda Beard, 1928Fred Taylor (1875-1963)
Worked for Clarks 1913.
Born in London; studied at Goldsmith’s College and in Italy. Poster artist, illustrator, decorator and water colourist; active 1908-1940s. Worked for transport companies; also ceilings at Lloyds of London and murals for Austin Reed.

Edmund Hort New (1871–1931)
Worked for Clarks 1914.
Born in Evesham; became Quaker later in life. Studied at Birmingham Municipal School of Art. One of UK’s leading illustrators, especially books, particularly in style of Arts and Crafts Movement. Taught drawing to T E Laurence ‘Laurence of Arabia’. Friend of Alice Clark.

Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890–1954)
Worked for Clarks 1924-1925.
Born in Montana, USA; attended evening classes at Mary Hopkins Institute and in Paris. Adopted middle name from his professor. Theatre and exhibition designer, interior designer, book illustrator. Settled in London in 1914, worked for transport companies.

Mela Koehler (1885-1960)
Worked for Clarks 1927-1929.
Austrian artist; full name Melanie Leopoldina Koehler-Broman (Austrian). Studied in Vienna; worked at Wiener Werkstatte. Designer of fabrics, ceramics, graphics; illustrator, including for fashion. Personal friend of Roger and Sarah Bancroft Clark. Later resident in Sweden.

Freda Beard (dates unknown)
Worked for Clarks 1928.
Little known about life and education. Portrait painter and commercial artist. Worked for transport companies; exhibited British Empire Exhibition, 1924; exhibited at Royal Academy.

Dora M Batty (1900–1966)
Worked for Clarks 1931.
Little known about life and education. Commercial artist and designer in Art Deco style. Worked for transport companies and Mac Fisheries as poster artist. Textile designer for Barlow & Jones and Helios; ceramic designer for Poole Pottery. Work as illustrator featured in ‘Britain can make it’ exhibition in 1946. Taught textiles, Central School of Art and Design, London, 1932-1958.

Lilian Hocknell (c 1891–1977)
Worked for Clarks 1931.
Little known about life and education. Best known as book illustrator and in advertising e.g. children’s clothing manufacturer Chilprufe Ltd, 1920s.

Bruce Angrave (1914–1983)
Worked for Clarks 1937.
Born in Leicester; studied Chiswick Art School, Ealing School of Art, Central School of Art, London. Graphic artist, book and periodical illustrator and periodical illustrator, designer and sculptor. Exhibited at Festival of Britain, 1951; Expo 70, Japan, 1970). Member of Society of Industrial Artists. Designed posters for transport companies; later designed work for TV.

G R Morris (dates unknown)
Worked for Clarks 1941.
Nothing known about life and education. Poster designer for National Safety First Association, 1920s-1950s, and London Transport, 1937-1948; book illustrators. Member of Society of Industrial Artists.

John Hinde (1916–1998)
Worked for Clarks 1940s.
Born in Street, Somerset, into Clark family (cousin of Joyce Green (JG)). Served as photographer for the civil defence forces, WW2. Developed interests in colour photography during 1940s. Founded John Hinde Ltd, Dublin, 1956; prolific postcard photographer and publisher. Sold company 1972 to become painter. Retrospective, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 1993.

Shaw Wildman (1900–1983)
Worked for Clarks 1946.
Nothing known about early life and education; photographer and typographer. Established studio in Hendon, London. Worked for Ministry of Information during WW2. Reputation as fashion photographer, e.g. Vogue front covers.

Wilfred Newton (b 1909)
Worked for Clarks 1947.
Nothing known about early life and education; still photographer for films incl. Olivier’s Henry V (1944); Hamlet (1948), Blythe Spirit (1945).

Alistair Michie (1921–2008)
Worked for Clarks 1950-1955.
Born in St Omer, France; studied architecture, Edinburgh College of Art. Illustrator and designer, London and Wareham, Dorset. Became painter and sculptor later in life; Royal West of England academician, 1982; Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors, 1994.

Aubrey Rix (1915–2002)
Worked for Clarks 1951-1955.
Educated Liverpool School of Art. Worked in shoe shop. Conscientious objector, WW2. Artist for Lever Brothers, magazine Woman’s Own, Embassy cigarettes, BOAC, Rank Xerox, Nestlé, London Evening Standard, Harrods, XIROS.

Jacques Francois Demachy (1898-fl 1968)
Worked for Clarks 1948-1960s.
Little known about early life and education. French fashion illustrator.

David Bailey (b 1938)
Worked for Clarks c 1965-1966
Born in Leytonshire, East London. Photographer, director and producer. British Vogue photographer from 1960. Co-creator of ‘Swinging London’, 1960s, with Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy.

Alan Cracknell (b 1937)
Worked for Clarks, 1970s.
Born in Harrow; attended art school. Illustrator. Worked for Orient Express; Crabtree & Evelyn. Focused on painting since 2000.

René Gruau (1909–2004)
Worked for Clarks 1984-1985.
Born in Italy; settled in Paris, 1924 and USA, 1948. Artist and fashion illustrator. Worked for magazines such as Femina, Marie-Claire, L’Officiel, L’Album du Figaro, International Textiles, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Flair. Responsible for ‘Miss Dior’ ad, 1947, creating the ‘New Look’. Has also worked for many major fashion houses.

Syd Brak (dates unknown)
Worked for Clarks 1986.
Nothing known about early life and education. Artist best known for work for Athena publishing group, using innovative airbrush technique, 1980s.

Helmut Newton (1920-2004)
Worked for Clarks 1987-1988.
Born in Berlin; apprenticed to photographer ‘Yva’ (aka Elsa Simon). Left Germany in 1938; became Australian citizen, 1946; later resident in Paris and London. Established own studio in fashion and theatre photography; worked for Australian and British Vogue.

Brian Grimwood (dates unknown)
Worked for Clarks 1992.
Little known about early life and education. Illustrator. Founder of Central Illustration Agency. Worked for magazine Nova, Faber & Faber, BBC Proms, WH Smith, Johnny Walker, Royal Mail and ASDA.

Further information

Comments are closed.