Raymond Sheppard and Kent

Chilham, 1937

I have had a breakthrough! I wrote about three Kent views drawn in pen and ink by Raymond Sheppard and guessed they were from the 1930s. I put them in one article because I felt it was too much of a coincidence they were all from Kent. It appears I was not far wrong and I'm just glowing with pride. 

In the Maidstone Telegraph for 24 April 1937 (p13) in the bottom right hand corner, an advert appeared for Henley Tyres - or to give them their full name Henley's Tyre and Rubber Co.- who were a subsidiary company of W. T. Henleys Telegraph Works Co. Henley Tyres address in the adverts is 18-20-22, Christopher Street, [in Finsbury Square] London, EC2. But for our context here, their works were based in Gravesend. The Chilham image is the first of three (to my knowledge) prints which were offered by Henley Tyres. As they say in the advert:

CHILHAM near CANTERBURY

By Raymond Sheppard
Copies of this drawing on Superfine Cartridge paper and without advertising matter will be sent free on-request. 

Maidstone Telegraph 24 April 1937, p13

 The quality paper gives me a clue why some people have thought they own original art, but I can confirm from my copies they are not originals. The Maidstone Telegraph offered the same print again two weeks later.  

The second one offered on 22 May 1937 (and again on 5 June) was of EYNSFORD BRIDGE. 

Maidstone Telegraph 22 May 1937, p13

 Two weeks after the 5 June issue, the third was advertised. This time of "The Barn that was a Church" - which is clarified a little:

THE BARN THAT WAS A CHURCH
at Ruxley near Sidcup. Mentioned in Domesday Book. By Raymond Sheppard
Copies of this drawing on Superfine Cartridge paper and without advertising matter will be sent free on request.

Maidstone Telegraph 19 June 1937, p3

 

 So there we have it. I've shown a full page of the Maidstone Telegraph so you can see the adverts tucked in the corner. Note the header states "Kent Messenger" - which is the newspaper group's name even today. Willings Press Guide tells me that in 1937 the Kent Messenger and Maidstone Telegraph was founded in 1859 and various editions were issued - Kent Messenger and Ashford Examiner/ Canterbury Telegraph / Dover Telegraph / Gravesend Telegraph / Sevenoaks Telegraph.

Maidstone Telegraph 3 July 1937, p3

 

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This article is dedicated to my good friend David Slinn, who helped me a lot with images and information on my blogs and writing over the years. David passed away on Wednesday 22 October aged 88. His knowledge of the 1950s onwards in British comics came first hand. he worked for various comics - Eagle, Swift, Girl, Tiger, Zip etc. I'll miss his long emails with so many asides and sub-clauses, they made me concentrate like never before. he would have rejoiced with me at another Sheppard find being pinned down. I'll miss you David and thanks.