Biography[]
Whilst looking for a new illustrator to provide illustrations for the third book of The Railway Series, James the Red Engine, Awdry again pondered the possibility of producing his own illustrations for the series. Thus he began making some drawings, that could potentially be used for the book. Awdry admitted however that whilst he was good at drawing engines, people and scenery were beyond him. A possible solution to this predicament was soon found however. A new Headmistress, named Barbara Bean, had been appointed to the nearby Knapwell Church of England School, and one of her hobbies was sketching. She agreed to collaborate with Awdry on the project, drawing the scenic details and people in the illustrations, as-well as adding watercolour to them. In the end however, Eric Marriott decided to use these illustrations as reference drawings for an artist, who would re-draw them for the publication, meaning Awdry was forced to accept the chosen illustrator, C. Reginald Dalby.
Trivia[]
- Several of the prototype illustrations for James the Red Engine, worked on by Wilbert Awdry and Barbara Bean, were not seen publicly until 2021, when they were on display at The Awdry Extravaganza event on the Talyllyn Railway. These illustrations are currently in the possession of Mattel.
Gallery[]
