Arthur Smith (1916-1991) is a British natural history illustrator specializing in entomology. He was born in the village of Eastburn, between Skipton and Keighley in Yorkshire, England.
During his youth he developed an interest in natural history from walking in the York Moor. At 15 he attended the Keighley College of Arts and Crafts and later the Royal College of Art in London. He graduated with the Silver Medal awarded for Special Differences at the School of Design (then highest order).
In 1940 he began his career as a freelance illustrator at the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). To avoid the disruption of the London Blitz during World War II, he moved to Letchworth at the invitation of a colleague, Frederick Wallace Edwards. Edwards died shortly afterwards, but had made Smith in touch with James Edward Collin, for which he produced 950 illustrations for this last book on the English empididae. The book was finally published in 1961.
Smith also collaborated with Dame Miriam Rothschild who illustrates his book: Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos (Rothschild and Clay, 1952). This led him to describe, with more than 1000 images, the Illustrated Catalog of the Rothschild Flea Collection (Siphonaptera) at the British Museum, a major work of five major volumes published between 1953 and 1971.
His work illustrates more than 60 books, pamphlets and reports alongside other freelance jobs for magazines.
In 1960 he became a member of the staff of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) As the first (and probably last) insect illustrator employed in the Entomology Department.
Smith's last great effort is an illustration of two volume work, British Tortricoid Moths, co-authoring with J. D. Bradley and W. G. Tremewan. However, before the publication of the book he was retired to Shaftesbury, Dorset. He continued to produce works of art up to several weeks before his death.
Arthur Smith married Margaret Eagle in 1940 and they produced three children, one of whom preceded them in 1978.
Video Arthur Smith (illustrator)
References
- Keith M. Harris and David J. Carter [Arthur Smith] Monthly Magazine Entomolog. July 31st. 1992, Vol. 128
- Natural History Museum.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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