Donald Pittenger writes:

Dear Blowhards --

Readers "of a certain age" might well recall the art of British cartoonist/illustrator/writer Ronald Searle (1920-). He was especially prolific during the 1950s and 60s. Influential, too: cartoonists active today have borrowed his way of exaggerating facial and body features.

He is perhaps best known as the creator of the St. Trinian's School books that became the subject of comedy films. The girls in that school were nasty, but not nearly as bad as the Japanese guards Searle had to deal with after Singapore surrendered and he and fellow soldiers were shipped north to work on River Kwai type projects.

I was a big fan of his and was both startled and pleased to notice the framed, autographed print in the lobby of our Paris hotel (the Fleury, wonderfully situated about halfway between the boul' Miche and the rue Bonaparte on the Left Bank).

Searle has lived in the South of France since 1961 and apparently likes the Fleury when he's in Paris.

Later,

Donald

Searle has a droll, vaguely subversive line. Something that can't be taught. I wonder if he has a slight buzz on when he does his drawings. Probably not, but there's that quality as well.

Posted by: ricpic on June 11, 2009 8:15 PM

Your link reports: "The concept and name for St Trinian's came from St Trinnean's school in Edinburgh... In 1925 the school moved from Palmerston Road to St Leonard's House near Dalkeith Road...". I just want to boast that in my youth I played competitive ping pong at St
Leonard's. Small world.

Posted by: dearieme on June 12, 2009 5:29 AM

"I just want to boast that in my youth I played competitive ping pong at St
Leonard's. Small world."

Jolly good show, Old Sock! I rogered a rather fetching young lass on the cricket pitch there one night some years ago. Small world indeed...

Posted by: PGT Nickerson on June 12, 2009 11:41 AM






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