Amusing Collection

Pea Apparatus by William Heath Robinson
An interesting and elegant apparatus designed to overcome once for all the difficulties of conveying green peas to the mouth

Old Bill and Co by Bruce Bairnsfather
An ARP warden stands on a rooftop during a very lively air raid and looks down a chimney pot with his binoculars telling those hiding inside, I said, I reckon its time you went to the shelter. 1940

A Decided Catch by William Heath Robinson
The Whitebait cycle, an ingenious contraption necessitated by the exorbitant charges for hire of boats at the seaside this season

The Colonels Christmas Dream by H. M. Bateman
A Colonel dreams of inspecting a battalion of Father Christmases. Date: 1928

Bound to Draw by William Heath Robinson
Another well-thought-out experiment in dentistry from Heath Robinson, the Gadget King and mastermind behind endless convoluted contraptions and silly ideas. Date: 1927

Beagling by H. M. Bateman
Humorous illustration by H. M. Bateman showing a number of fashionably dressed society folk following foxhounds round in a circle in a ploughed, muddy field. Date: 1930

Late Arrivals by H. M. Bateman
Late arrivals at the theatre annoy everyone by laughing at the show and blocking the view of those who took their seats in good time in the process! Date: 1924

Japan - Geisha - See no evil, Hear no evil, speak no evil
Japan - Three Geisha girls - miming the phrase See no evil, Hear no evil, speak no evil. Date: circa 1904

The Shop Assistant who Lost his Temper by H. M. Bateman
A shop assistant finally loses the plot after bringing out roll upon roll of material for a demanding customer to choose from. 1929

The Man Who Broke 60 in The Open - H. M. Bateman
Golfers and spectators alike suffer heat exhaustion at the golf Open. Date: 1950

Fat Geese! by Lawson Wood
A cheeky young lad chuckles to himself after placing a sign for fattened geese on the posterior of a rather plump lady who is herself choosing which goose to buy for her Christmas dinner. Date: 1909

A Little Impression by H. M. Bateman
Someone elses table - a little impression, by H. M. Bateman. A game of billiards descends into raucous laughter as one player accidentally rips a hole in the green baize. Date: 1918

Female jockeys riding gentlemen like horses
Two women jockeys with riding crops, spur on their steeds - not horses, but top-hatted and tailed gentlemen who wear bridles in their mouths

A cunning stroke by William Heath Robinson
A clever but unsportsmanlike contrivance to increase buoyance and prevent fatigue among Channel swimmers

Gran pops Shadow Show by Lawson Wood
Three little monkeys chuckle with glee as Gran pop, the orang utan character created by artist Lawson Wood entertains them with a shadow puppet show. Date: 1935

Diet and Dieters by Joyce Dennys
A selection of types and the diets they are all eating in order to retain, or, in some cases, reduce their figures. Date: 1929

Someone Drops a Sixpence Near Somerset House - HM Bateman
H.M. Bateman had a particular loathing for the taxman as exemplified in this cartoon showing the inhabitants of Somerset House (then the home of the Inland Revenue)

Jurisprudence by H. M. Bateman
Jurisprudence by H. M

The Gun Who Picked up his Bird by H. M. Bateman
Etiquette gone awry during a shoot when one man retrieves his own bird rather than allowing the gundogs to do so

Mixing treated asbestos fibre, Heath Robinson machine
Efficient plant for the successful mixing of treated asbestos fibre with cement

Patent double action grinder for asbestos by Heath Robinson
A patent double-action grinder for mashing asbestos fibre - a drawing done for Turners Asbestos Cement Co by William Heath Robinson, renowned for his machines and convoluted contraptions. Date: c.1925

The Subzeppmarinellin by Heath Robinson, WW1 cartoon
The subzeppmarinellin for making sure of your enemy. All bases covered with this combined submarine and zeppelin from the imagination of William Heath Robinson during the First World War. Date: c.1916

God Juggling
God depicted as a juggler, amusing himself with the worlds he has created

The Man Who Lit His Cigar Before The Royal Toast - Bateman
The Man Who Lit His Cigar Before The Royal Toast - H M Bateman. This illustration shows an arrogant man who has defied etiquette by lighting his cigar before the correct course of dinner

Grit by Wilmot Lunt
A young caddy takes a rest while a golfer tenaciously (and with increasing fury) attempts to get the ball out of a sandy bunker. Date: 1927

The Rules of Life by H. M. Bateman
A baby in a highchair is presented with a long list of rules for life by a queue of influential people including his nurse, his parents, teacher, police officer, judge and vicar. Date: 1930

The Cawston Ostrich Farm - South Pasadena, California, USA. A large ostrich pulls a wheeled cart, containing an enthusiastic lady passenger! The boss of the farm in bowler hat stands proudly behind

A Subtle Competition by H. M. Bateman, golfing fashion
Cartoon by the master of social satire, H. M. Bateman showing two men in competition to wear a series of increasingly outrageous golf outfits

"Appleton - either the Admiral routes the convoys further south
" Appleton - either the Admiral routes the convoys further south

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Wool without coupons
The Caption is Wool without coupons. Although the card was posted in 1947, the drawing is about wartime clothes rationing which did not finish until 1949. Cute Kids WW2 Wartime humour Date: 1947

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - I m doin me knit
The Caption reads I m doing my knit - a play on the wartime need to do your bit. Cute Kids WW2 Wartime humour Date: 1941

The New Word in Golf by H. M. Bateman
H. M. Bateman at his explosive best with this cartoon of an irate elderly golfer who fills the air with Anglo-Saxon expletives in frustration at his golf game

The Man Who Broke The Tube by H M Bateman, a man who does not heed the instructions on the glue. He brakes the tube, glues himself to the table, then his wife

Reprisal! by H M Bateman - humorous illustration of what can happen if a woman decides to wear trousers

Heres How by Cecil Aldin
Heres How: Woggles Series LV

Scream Line by Cecil Rigby
The Driver: One gets a thrill out of speeding like this. Don t you feel glad to be alive? Her Friend: Glad is not the word. I m amazed

Scene from movie The First Men in the Moon - H. G. Wells
A scene from the Gaumont film adaptation of the H. G. Wells book, The First Men on the Moon, in which the author approved all dresses and supervised the production

In the support trench by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
" Old Bill has practically decided to try to get Private Shinio (the ex-comedy-juggler-and-hand-balancer)

Jacks Saloon, Happy Hollow, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Jacks Sallon Bar at Happy Hollow

Christmas Greetings card with a Golfing Pun theme, playing on words/terms. " May Xmas: BUNKER trouble and Care and LINK you to a Golden New Year. I ask you to accept today

Robin in the trenches, WW1 by Philip Dadd
Sat on the End of my Bayonet like a bloomin Christmas Card, he did

Teasing Tirpitz, or luring a U boat to Dover, Heath Robinson
A battered British plane suspends a tiny toy boat on a string, fooling a German U boat into pursuing it all the way to Dover. Another mischievous war tactic dreamed up by William Heath Robinson

When Germany Surrenders her U-Boats by Heath Robinson, WW1
Why not use the enemy craft for peaceful sport? Ramming rabbits in the Balearic Islands

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - For Evermore
The Caption is For evermore. Ground facilities for the fly boys was the responsibiiity of the RAF Regiment

The Angler Who Caught Something by H. M. Bateman
An amateur angler causes consternation among more serious fishing enthusiasts by catching a miniscule minnow. Cartoon in The Tatler by H. M. Bateman whose pictures poked fun at polite society

The Chaperon by Joyce Dennys
A young woman manages to steal a few moments with her sweetheart out of sight of her chaperon (whose Victorian bathing costume can be seen)

Young women in fancy dress costumes
A group of young women dressed in fancy dress costumes preserve the moment for posterity with a photograph in studio

Good Egg by H. M. Bateman
An un-ovoid-able Easter Spheroddity by H. M. Bateman. Date: 1923

Two women in fancy dress with tankards
Two women in fancy dress costumes comprising of knickerbockers, shirts and waistcoats, raise a tankard of beer each - presumably they re meant to be some kind of 17th century roisterers? c.1928

The man Who Begged to Differ from his Mother-in-Law Bateman
The man Who Begged to Differ from his Mother-in-Law by Bateman. A terrified, small man cowering in a chair after disagreeing with his imperious looking mother in law

The Parents Who Came By Charabanc by H. M. Bateman
A young Etonian school boy is aghast to find that his parents decide to travel to the Fourth of June celebrations in a charabanc along with a motley selection of ordinary folk. Date: 1933

One Kind of Picnic - Another by H. M. Bateman 2 of 2
A group attempt a countryside picnic but are beset with problems ranging from angry wasps to an irate landowner

A very early type of railway signal by W Heath Robinson
A very early type of railway signal now rarely to be seen - an example from Railway Ribaldry, drawn by William Heath Robinson and commissioned by the Great Western Railway to mark their centenary

Blasting Limpets by William Heath Robinson
Heath Robinsons Encyclopaedia of Sport - X. Blasting limpets on the Barbary Coast. Another unusual sport suggested by William Heath Robinson. Date: 1914

Mine and Countermine by Heath Robinson
A tunnelling stand off between a British and German soldier with the German soldier eventually burrowing so deeply he falls out of the other side of the world. Date: 1915

Sheep by Alfred Leete
A group of tourists obediently follow a guide while visiting an ancient ruin. Date: 1929

Observed of all observers by Alfred Leete
The Chauffeur of a coal-gas-driven car (to a gathering crowd): Wot are you anging around cre for? The Crowd: Please, Mister, we se waiting for the balloon to go up

The Visitors Who Told the Master Off by H. M. Bateman
Cartoon by the master of social satire, H. M. Bateman, showing a somewhat arrogant visitor to a hunt lecture the Master of Foxhounds much to the shock of other members. Date: 1936

Unwavering Divotion by Heath Robinson - golf cartoon
The Caddie (elevated with the turf): Never mind, Sir, you ve moved the ball. Date: 1914

All went well till the wheels came off. Cartoon strip from the Bonzo Annual, 1935 Date: 1935

A Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit?) complete with traditional costume
A Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit?) complete with traditional Welsh costume. Date: 1904

Brighter Wimbledon by Alfred Leete
A suggestion by artist Alfred Leete at how much brighter and gayer Wimbledon would be if if all the players appeared in their native costume. Date: 1927

Crabbing Their Style by William Heath Robinson
Cartoon, Crabbing their style. Toeing for crabs at and seaside resort during the holiday months. Men crab fishing using feet as bait

Bas de Soie by Harold Earnshaw
An elegant girl in a swimming costume chases gracefully after a small terrier dog who has run away with her head scarf on the beach, an essential part of the 1920s swimwear look. Date: 1927

Girl saying Grace but pet dog unwilling
" Fold Your hands Bob!" A pretty young girl says Grace, but is slightly affronted that her pet dog Bob is unwilling to join in and fold his paws together respectfully.... Date: circa 1910

Humorous hand drawn postcard by George Ranstead
Comic illustration by amateur soldier artist of the Great War, George Ranstead

Fall / Poodle & Mirror
CHAMPION NUNSOE THE FLORIN Owned by Miss Lane. A white dog with a poodle cut looks at its reflection in a mirror. 1936

Recruitment poster parody WWI
Amusing pastiche based on advertisements for drawing schools and gently mocking the recruitment techniques of World War One

Tooth and Flail by H. M. Bateman
The Crisis - Tattenham Corner. Horses and riders each furiously rounding the bend at Tattenham Corner on Epsom racecourse as envisaged by the cartoonist, H. M. Bateman. Date: 1927

COLD CHRISTMAS SIGN
An amusing signpost for the villages of Much Hadham and Cold Christmas in Hertfordshire, England! Date: 1950s

I could do with a new photograph of you girlie
Bonzo outside his tent with a photograph of his girl covered in kisses. Date: circa 1940

Promo card by Lawson Wood for Johnson Brothers
Promotional postcard by Lawson Wood for Johnson Brothers Dyers & Dry Cleaners, 1 Market Buildings, Bridgend - Why Waer a Dirty Raincoat? - Have it Cleaned and Re-proofed

Comedy - The Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival
Musicians Temperament - Hilarity during The Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival at the Royal Festival Hall, London

Labour Saving by Heath Robinson. No. 2 - The Morning Starter

Rosy-cheeked infant sucking on a dummy Date: 1916

Flying Tips: Keep your machine well in hand, and get up good speed along the ground before attempting to rise. Date: 1911

Racing Illustrated - Won by a long neck!
Racing Illustrated Won by a long neck! - A Jockey's steed employs some spectacular neck-extending to pinch victory at the winning post! Date: circa 1903

Travelling Dog Fancier: "Do either of you two want a cheerful companion for the winter
Travelling Dog Fancier: " Do either of you two want a cheerful companion for the winter?" A small dog meanwhile, peeks out through the mans coat. Date: 1901

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Dear Mums - I am thinking of you
The message on the card is My Dear Mum and Dad, I don t think I need write much here, the front explains quite a lot don t you think. Not very nice here at the moment bit showery

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - The Girl Friend
The Caption is The Girl Friend. The printed message on the back says Your country needs your L.S.D. [Pounds, Shillings and Pence] to help it win the Victory. Cute Kids WW2 Wartime humour Date: 1943

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - There is still a lot to do
The war is over. The message on the back by Churchill exhorts There is still a lot to do

Ian Hassall, second of artist John Hassalls five children, pictured posing in his costume at the Mansion House Childrens Fancy Dress Ball in January 1911

Playmates - Toddler and Pet Dog sit / stand on a wall
Playmates - A young girl (a toddler aged about 3) and pet black Working Cocker Spaniel sit/stand together on the wall of their backyard. Date: circa 1910

The Last Trout by H. M. Bateman
A group of determined fishermen all compete for the last (rather small) trout left in a river. Date: 1931

All products are expertly crafted, using premium materials, tailored to your specifications and promptly shipped