Peter and Gunvor Edwards
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23 April 2014
Peter:
3 April 2017
Peter and Gunvor Edwards | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1934 |
| Died | Gunvor: 23 April 2014 Peter: 3 April 2017 |
| Occupation | Illustrators |
Peter Edwards (1934 – 2017) and Gunvor Edwards (1934 – 2014) were two Swedish-English impressionistic artists known for illustrating several of The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry[1] from 1963 to 1972. Gunvor died at the age of 80 on 23 April 2014 from dementia, and Peter died at the age of 83 on 3 April 2017 from cancer.
They illustrated the books:
- Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine
- Mountain Engines
- Very Old Engines
- Main Line Engines
- Small Railway Engines
- Enterprising Engines
- Oliver the Western Engine
- Duke the Lost Engine
- Tramway Engines
The Railway Series books
After John T. Kenney resigned from the Railway Series due to failing eyesight, editor Eric Marriot decided to ask Swedish-born artist Gunvor Edwards to see whether she would try her hand at some illustrations for the latest book, Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine. Gunvor accepted the commission and decided to start with a complex illustration, the Diesel standing alongside the other engines in their shed.[2]
However, Gunvor had difficulty with the small space she was required to work with (about ten by six inches) and soon realised that duplicating the work of previous illustrators was not going to be easy. So, she turned to her husband, Peter, who was, as he put it, "trying to be a 'serious' artist". And although he was no more able to imitate earlier work in the Railway Series any better than his wife, both Marriot and the Reverend W. Awdry were satisfied with his pictures. Although Edwards' style was more impressionistic than that of any previous Railway Series artist, Wilbert liked his work because he drew from life and "obviously had an affection for the characters".[2]
