',%48)6 1 I D E A S
D
Clearing a table after breakfast can be a time-consuming chore. This apparatus, powered by a simple hydraulic pump, disposes of tablecloth, crockery and cutlery in one swift, satisfying slide.
)ZIR MR XLI GVEQTIH GSR½RIW SJ E QSHIVR ¾EX MX MW TSWWMFPI to entertain a wedding party in style; with Heath Robinson’s ingenious mechanical dining table, their place settings will come to them.
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uring the 19th century the Industrial Revolution LEH FVSYKLX WMKRM½GERX GLERKIW XS +VIEX &VMXEMR The population increased from eight million in 1800 to 30 million in 1900, and these people had to live WSQI[LIVI 8LI VETMH HIZIPSTQIRX SJ GSXXSR ERH other mills attracted workers into the towns and cities, and at the same time the modernization of agriculture meant that many fewer labourers were needed on XLI JEVQW &IJSVI QSWX TISTPI [SVOIH MR XLI ½IPHW ERH PMZIH MR XLI GSYRXV] EJXIV QSWX TISTPI [SVOIH MR MRHYWXVMIW ERH PMZIH RIEVF] As people migrated into towns and cities, suburbs HIZIPSTIH XS GSTI [MXL XLI MR¾Y\ 7YFYVFER LSYWIW were small, and often divided into maisonettes and ¾EXW (YVMRK XLI th century most better-off families had two or three servants: perhaps a cook, a parlour QEMH ERH E FYXPIV 8LI 6SFMRWSR LSYWILSPH ;MPPMEQ claimed, included “a general servant, a kitchen maid, E RYVWI E LSYWIQEMH ERH E GSSO FYX EW EPP XLIWI retainers were united in one person, our household [EW RSX KVIEXP] MRGVIEWIH XLIVIF]² Aspiring middle-class families did not really have enough money to employ servants, nor space to house them, especially if their new home was less than E GSQTPIXI LSYWI *SV WSQI XLI PSWW SJ WIVZERXW [EW E HVIEHJYP MQTSWMXMSR ,S[ GSYPH QMHHPI GPEWW TISTPI FI I\TIGXIH XS PMKLX XLIMV S[R ½VIW GSSO XLIMV S[R food, and clean their own houses? In addition, how could they possibly live in a small house? Once his imagination got to work, however, ,IEXL 6SFMRWSR JSYRH MRKIRMSYW WSPYXMSRW XS WYGL TSXIRXMEP TVSFPIQW 8LI [IHHMRK FVIEOJEWX WGIRI SR XLI STTSWMXI TEKI MW E X]TMGEP I\EQTPI SJ LMW WSPYXMSRW XS XLI TVSFPIQW GEYWIH F] PEGO SJ WTEGI 7SQI SJ LMW MHIEW [IVI XIGLRSPSKMGEP ¯ LI invented a hydraulic table-clearing machine and GSQTPI\ QIGLERMGEP WPMQQMRK IRKMRIW 3XLIVW [IVI
B L I S S
WMQTPIV ERH SJXIR QSVI [LMQWMGEP WIVZERXW GSYPH FI replaced by pieces of string, so that people could bring themselves whatever they wanted without moving JVSQ XLIMV GLEMVW ¯ XLI IEVP] th-century version of XLI VIQSXI GSRXVSP 'LMGOIRW GSYPH FI FVSYKLX MRXS XLI LSYWI XS PE] JVIWL IKKW JSV FVIEOJEWX Meanwhile, in the real world, the advent of domestic gadgets meant that servants were becoming PIWW RIGIWWEV] ,YFIVX 'IGMP &SSXL´W SVMKMREP ZEGYYQ cleaner of 1901 was a steam-powered machine the WM^I SJ E PEVKI GEVX ERH TYPPIH F] LSVWIW ;LIR ]SY summoned it, the monster was brought to the road outside your house, and pipes led in through several windows to bring the vacuum to your carpets and YTLSPWXIV] 8LMW [EW ER MQTSVXERX WSGMEP IZIRX ERH ladies would invite their friends to come and take tea ERH SFWIVZI XLI [SRHIVJYP QEGLMRI MR EGXMSR 8LI [IEPXL] 'LMGEKS WSGMEPMXI .SWITLMRI 'SGLVERI MRZIRXIH XLI ½VWX IJJIGXMZI HMWL[EWLIV MR 7LI [EW not the sort of lady who liked getting her hands dirty, ERH LEH TPIRX] SJ WIVZERXW 7LI MRZIRXIH XLI QEGLMRI not to avoid washing up, but because she was fed up [MXL LIV WIVZERXW FVIEOMRK LIV I\TIRWMZI GLMRE -R .EQIW 1YVVE] 7TERKPIV E ]IEV SPH EWXLQEXMG NERMXSV MR 'ERXSR 3LMS TYX XSKIXLIV E carpet sweeper with a fan and a pillowcase on the FEGO XS GEXGL XLI HYWX ,I GSYPH XEOI XLMW TSVXEFPI IPIGXVMG QEGLMRI VSYRH XLI FYMPHMRK [MXL LMQ MX OITX XLI HYWX HS[R ERH VIHYGIH LMW EWXLQE EXXEGOW ,I XSSO SYX E TEXIRX ERH WIX YT XLI )PIGXVMG 7YGXMSR 7[IITIV 'SQTER] XS QEOI LMW QEGLMRIW ;MPPMEQ , ,SSZIV [LS QEHI PIEXLIV LSVWI collars and harnesses, was worried about the threat XS LMW FYWMRIWW JVSQ XLI EHZIRX SJ XLI EYXSQSFMPI ,I WE[ SRI SJ 7TERKPIV´W QEGLMRIW [EW MQQIRWIP] MQTVIWWIH ERH FSYKLX XLI IRXMVI FYWMRIWW JSV 3JJIVMRK E [IIO´W JVII LSQI XVMEP XLI GSQTER] [EW WS 19
' , % 4 8 ) 6 1 - ( ) % 7 * 3 6 ( 3 1 ) 7 8 - ' & 0 - 7 7
C LOSE Q UARTERS Population pressure in European cities, coupled
S[R LSYWI [MXL E KEVHIR 7SQI PS[IV GPEWW GMXM^IRW
with shortage of space, had long been encouraging
LS[IZIV SGGYTMIH E ž EX EFSZI E WLST ¯ [LMGL [EW
builders to go upwards, constructing taller and taller
TVIGMWIP] [LIVI Q] ½ VWX GLMPH [EW FSVR MR
the dreamer, where there’s a will there’s a window ledge. Even on the shortest and most lofty perch the
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*PEXW LEH FIIR EVSYRH WMRGI ERGMIRX XMQIW ÂŻ XLI]
IZIV LMKLIV [EW XLI [MHIWTVIEH EHSTXMSR SJ XLI PMJX
[IVI [IPP ORS[R MR 6SQI ERH 3PH 'EMVS ÂŻ FYX
SV IPIZEXSV (IZMGIW JSV VEMWMRK ERH PS[IVMRK TISTPI
XLI MHIE SJ TMPMRK XLIQ LMKLIV HITIRHIH RSX SRP]
ERH KSSHW LEH I\MWXIH JSV XLSYWERHW SJ ]IEVW 1]
SR MQTVSZIH FYMPHMRK XIGLRMUYIW FYX EPWS SR XLI
%RGMIRX +VIIO JVMIRH %VGLMQIHIW MW VITSVXIH XS
PMJX JSV TISTPI HS RSX IRNS] GPMQFMRK QER] ž MKLXW
LEZI QEHI LMW ½ VWX PMJX MR & ' -R E TEMV SJ
How To Live in a Flat, which is still a delightful read
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EVGLMXIGXW MR 0SRHSR FYMPX ER ¹EWGIRHMRK VSSQ² JVSQ
XSHE] -R XLI ½VWX GLETXIV IRXMXPIH 8LI )ZSPYXMSR
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[LMGL XLI TE]MRK TYFPMG GSYPH IRNS] ½ RI ZMI[W SJ XLI
of the Flat, they say, “Reduced to its lowest terms
TS[IV GYX ERH XLI VIQSZEP QIR LEH XS GEVV]
GMX] 8LI GVYGMEP WXIT GEQI MR [LIR )PMWLE 3XMW
(which, however, are seldom less than ÂŁ80 per
MRXVSHYGIH XLI WEJIX] IPIZEXSV ERH HIQSRWXVEXIH MX MR
ERRYQ E žEX MW WMQTP] E TSVXMSR SJ E LSYWI XLEX
E HIEXL HIJ]MRK WXYRX EX XLI 'V]WXEP 4EPEGI ,MW FEWMG
has been converted but not entirely convinced. Since
MHIE [EW XLEX IZIR MJ XLI WYTTSVXMRK VSTI FVSOI XLI
XLI TVMQEV] TYVTSWI SJ žEXW MW XS IREFPI EX PIEWX
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th
GIRXYV] ERH XLIR MR SXLIV )YVSTIER GMXMIW 8EPP FPSGOW
32
a portion of a house XLEX LEW FIIR GSRZIVXIH FYX RSX IRXMVIP] GSRZMRGIH �
remotely sporty. Well, thought Heath Robinson
FYMPHMRKW ERH ½ PPMRK XLIQ [MXL ž EXW SV ETEVXQIRXW
EPP LIV JYVRMXYVI YT ž MKLXW SJ WXEMVW
,S[ 8S 0MZI MR E *PEX, Heath 6SFMRWSR´W ½ VWX FSSO [MXL / 6 + &VS[RI ETTIEVIH MR ERH SJJIVIH ER EVVE] SJ MRKIRMSYW WSPYXMSRW XS XLI VIWXVMGXMSRW MQTSWIH F] PEGO SJ WTEGI
“ % ž EX MW WMQTP]
W. Heath Robinson and Cecil Hunt, How to Run a Communal Home, 1943
golfers could perfect their swings, the cricketers their googlies and off-drives, the angler his patience and the tennis-player her backhand. ,I RIZIV JSVKSX LMW I\TIVMIRGI SJ žEX PMZMRK ERH in 1939 with K. R. G. Browne produced a book called
SJ ž EXW ORS[R EW XIRIQIRXW YT XS WXSVI]W LMKL
%JXIV LMW QEVVMEKI MR ,IEXL 6SFMRWSR ERH
thereby quintupling the landlord’s income, they are
ERH FYMPX JVSQ XLI PSGEP WERHWXSRI [IVI E JIEXYVI
LMW [MJI QSZIH MRXS E JYVRMWLIH ž EX ¹-X [EW EX XLI XST
apt to lack that spaciousness which characterizes the
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SJ E XEPP FYMPHMRK EX XLI WMHI SJ E QYWMG LEPP MR XLI RSVXL
+VERH 'IRXVEP 8IVQMREP 2I[ =SVO *VSQ XLI OIIR
TISTPI GVEQQIH MRXS XLI REVVS[ ¹[]RHW²
SJ 0SRHSR 8LIVI [IVI RS PMJXW ERH SYV LSQI GSYPH
cat-swinger’s point of view this is regrettable.�
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SRP] FI VIEGLIH F] GPMQFMRK PSRK ž MKLXW SJ WXSRI
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SGGYTMIH F] VIPEXMZIP] TSWL TISTPI [LS XLIVIJSVI
WXITW 3YV IZIRMRKW [IVI IRPMZIRIH F] SGGEWMSREP
person playing the drums or listening to pop music
LEH JI[IV WXEMVW XS GPMQF 7MQMPEV XIRIQIRXW [IVI
bursts of applause which we could hear through
at 2 a.m. can ruin life for everyone in the building,
FYMPX MR XLI +SVFEPW XLI TSSV UYEVXIV SJ +PEWKS[
XLI [EPP WITEVEXMRK YW JVSQ XLI XLIEXVI ;LIR [I
ERH XLI TVSFPIQ MW QYGL [SVWI MJ XLI žEXW EVI
ERH MR 2I[ =SVO 'MX]´W 0S[IV )EWX 7MHI [LIVI XLI
[IVI IRXIVXEMRMRK ERH GSRZIVWMRK [MXL JVMIRHW XLI
cheaply built and lack proper sound insulation. I once
ETEVXQIRXW [IVI GEPPIH ¹VEMPVSEH ž EXW² FIGEYWI XLI
ETTPEYWI [SYPH WSQIXMQIW SGGYV EX MRSTTSVXYRI
stayed in a cheap hotel in San Giovanni Rotondo
TSO] PMXXPI VSSQW [IVI FYMPX IRH XS IRH PMOI FS\GEVW
QSQIRXW ERH QEOI ER YRI\TIGXIH GSQQIRXEV] SR
in south-eastern Italy. My room was on the ground
1ER] SJ XLIWI ž EXW [IVI TSSVP] IUYMTTIH [MXL NYWX
XLI GSRZIVWEXMSR -X [EW HMWGSRGIVXMRK JSV MRWXERGI
žSSV YRHIVRIEXL XLI QEMR FEPPVSSQ 8LEX RMKLX XLIVI
E JI[ WQEPP VSSQW WLEVIH FEXLVSSQW ERH OMXGLIRW
[LIR MR XLI TSPMXI TEYWI JSPPS[MRK E KYIWX´W HIGPMRMRK
was a wedding, and the noise of a thousand stiletto
ERH PMXXPI TVMZEG]
E WIGSRH LIPTMRK E FYVWX SJ GPETTMRK MRXIVZIRIH ²
LIIPW WXSQTMRK XLI RMKLX E[E] SR XLI QEVFPI žSSV
th
&YMPHIVW MR )RKPERH PEKKIH FILMRH 8LI ½ VWX
*SV QSWX SJ LMW IEVPMIV PMJI ,IEXL 6SFMRWSR LEH
immediately above my head will stay with me forever.
¹KEVHIR ž EXW² MR 0SRHSR [IVI FYMPX MR XLI W ERH
PMZIH MR LSYWIW SJ E VIEWSREFPI WM^I WS QSZMRK MRXS
+MZIR LMW ½VWX LERH I\TIVMIRGI SJ XLMW TVSFPIQ
MQTSWMRK FPSGOW SJ WTEGMSYW ¹QERWMSR ž EXW² JSPPS[IH
XLMW ž EX QYWX LEZI FIIR E FMX SJ E WLSGO -RWMHI XLIVI
Heath Robinson came up with all kinds of elaborate
MR XLI W FYX XLI MHIE [EW WPS[ XS GEXGL SR
[EW WGEVGIP] WTEGI XS W[MRK E GEX [LMPI SYXWMHI XLIVI
solutions involving mattresses, upholstered dadoes
FIGEYWI QSWX QMHHPI GPEWW JEQMPMIW [ERXIH XLIMV
[EW RS KEVHIR ERH XLIVIJSVI RS WTEGI XS HS ER]XLMRK
and spongy galoshes.
,IEXL 6SFMRWSR WX]PMWLP] PEQTSSRW XLI &EYLEYW MRWTMVIH EVGLMXIGXYVI SJ ½ VQW WYGL EW 8IGXSR ERH -WSOSR XLEX [EW WTVMRKMRK YT MR 0SRHSR MR XLI W
“Sports without broad acres.â€? With open country and leafy ZMPPEW WPMTTMRK FI]SRH VIEGL žEX H[IPPIVW EVI JSVGIH XS ½RH new ways of practising their favourite outdoor pursuits. 33
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“How to take advantage of the Savoy Orpheans dance music broadcast by the B. B. C. without disturbing the neighbour in the ¾EX FIPS[ ² ,IEXL 6SFMRWSR MREHZIVXIRXP] MRZIRXW XLI WMPIRX HMWGS XLSYKL MX MW LEVH XS MQEKMRI [LEX [MPP LETTIR XS XLI [MVIW XVEMPMRK JVSQ XLI IPIGXVSPMIV EW XLI GSYTPIW TMVSYIXXI EVSYRH XLI VSSQ 34
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“The spare room.” An ingenious contrivance makes it possible XS EGGSQQSHEXI E KYIWX MR IZIR XLI WQEPPIWX ¾EX.
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SHARING SCARCE FACILITIES
38
Heath Robinson was forever looking for ways to QE\MQM^I XLI PMQMXIH WTEGI EZEMPEFPI XS ¾EX H[IPPIVW 3RI TSWWMFMPMX] [EW XS WLEVI JEGMPMXMIW % RSVQEP LSYWI QMKLX [IPP LEZI E WXSZI SV ½VITPEGI MR IZIV] VSSQ [LMGL QIERX QYGL GEVV]MRK SJ GSEP ERH E KSSH HIEP SJ GPIEVMRK SYX XLI EWLIW RSX XS QIRXMSR HMVX ERH HYWX IZIV][LIVI 4IVLETW ER IRXMVI ¾EX GSYPH FI [EVQIH F] E WMRKPI WXSZI WLEVIH FIX[IIR EPP XLI VSSQW XLI YPXMQEXI JSVQ SJ GIRXVEP LIEXMRK The bathroom was another place where space [EW [EWXIH 8LI VSSQ LEH XS FI PEVKI IRSYKL XS EGGSQQSHEXI XLI XYF FYX IZIR MJ EPP XLI JEQMP] LEH E FEXL IZIV] HE] MX [SYPH FI YRYWIH JSV QYGL SJ XLI XMQI ,S[ EFSYX E GSQQYREP FEXL XLIR WLEVIH FIX[IIR JSYV ¾EXW# 8LIVI GSYPH FI E HEMP] XMQIXEFPI XLEX EPPS[IH TIVLETW LEPJ ER LSYV JSV IEGL ¾EX FIJSVI XLI FEXL QSZIH SR 8LMW EVVERKIQIRX [SYPH GEPP JSV GPIZIV TPYQFMRK ERH [EXIV LIEXMRK 8LIVI [SYPH EPWS FI WSQI HMJ½GYPX] QEMRXEMRMRK TVSTVMIX] WMRGI GPIEVP] RS SRI [SYPH [ERX XLI RIMKLFSYVW XS WII XLIQ MR E WXEXI
SJ YRHVIWW ¯ RSV ZMGI ZIVWE ¯ FYX XLMRO SJ XLI WEZMRK SJ WTEGI )ZIV]SRI [SYPH KEMR %RSXLIV TSWWMFMPMX] VEXLIV WMQTPIV JVSQ XLI XIGLRMGEP TSMRX SJ ZMI[ [SYPH FI XS LEZI E FEXL FMK IRSYKL XS EGGSQQSHEXI XLVII TISTPI EX E XMQI 8LIR EPP XLI QIR MR XLI GSQQYREP TVSTIVX] GSYPH FEXLI XSKIXLIV ERH EPP XLI [SQIR PEXIV &SXL WTEGI ERH [EXIV [SYPH FI WEZIH 3RI JIEXYVI JEQMPMEV XS EPP XLSWI [LS LEZI FSYKLX E LSYWI SV IZIR GSRXIQTPEXIH HSMRK WS MW XLI HSHK] NEVKSR SJ EPP IWXEXI EKIRXW ±6MTI JSV QSHIVRM^EXMSR² means that the property is falling down and probably LEW RIMXLIV TPYQFMRK RSV IPIGXVMGMX] ±4IEGIJYP PSGEXMSR² QIERW QSVI XLER XIR ]EVHW JVSQ E QENSV VSEH NYRGXMSR SV FYMPHMRK WMXI ±6YWXMG WMQTPMGMX]² QIERW ER SYXHSSV XSMPIX ±7IE ZMI[² QIERW JVSQ XLI VSSJ YWMRK E XIPIWGSTI ,IEXL 6SFMRWSR WLS[W YW E WYTIVF example of what a modern estate agent might call a ±WTEGMSYW JEQMP] LSQI² ERH LI GEPPW ±,IEXL 6SFMRWSR 1ERWMSRW ; ¯ 83 0)8 %XXVEGXMZI ¾EX GSRXEMRMRK ¯ 1YWMG &EXL 6SSQ , ' &IHVSSQ &MPPMEVH 6SSQ (MRMRK 6SSQ /MXGLIR 7GYPPIV] 3J½GIW ²
“Sectional view explaining the use of the communal bath.” The revolving bath is a scaled-down version of the Victorian public FEXLW WIVZMRK JSYV ¾EXW MRWXIEH SJ E [LSPI RIMKLFSYVLSSH
Sensitive souls whose inhibitions cause them to recoil from the lack of privacy in the communal home can take comfort from these “modesty toilet boxes” in the shared dressing room.
“The threesome or communal bath” enables bathers to preserve their modesty while sharing scarce hot water.
In How to Run a Communal Home, which appeared in 1943, the year after the Beveridge Report laid the foundations of the Welfare State, Heath Robinson and a new collaborator, Cecil Hunt, gently satirize communitarian ideals.
The Heath Robinson Mansions contain compact apartments with every space-saving expedient, including a piano off the bathroom and a dining room with open-air eating.
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died in 1846 when he was only 50 years old, but he would by then have seen how successful his invention had become. In 1928, Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies of Ipswich commissioned Heath Robinson to draw possible machines for the future. The result was a host of adaptations to suit every type of user. Unfor tunately, although today we have ride-on mowers, robot mowers and huge machines for spor ts grounds, and Ransomes still make a variety of mowers, we don’t seem to have any with Robinson’s ingenious accessories.
B L I S S
M A K I N G
T H E
M O S T
O F
T H E
G A R D E N
“ There was not much
time to spare for children on washing day. We were always in the way, and the back garden was unplayable because of the clothes props and the wind-blown sheets and undergarments.” W. Heath Robinson, My Line of Life, 1938
Just occasionally he launches a Swiss Army knife of a machine, including a mowing machine for the housewife, which also pulls the pram, fans the toddlers, makes hot water for washing the clothes, drives the mangle to squeeze them dry, holds up the washing line and makes the tea. What is slightly shocking is that the gentleman may be able to mow his lawn while reclining in luxury; in contrast the housewife not only has to push her machine, but is also expected to carry on with her household chores while doing so.
In another advertisement for Ransomes, Robinson shows the LSYWI[MJI QS[MRK XLI PE[R [LMPI EPWS JYP½PPMRK XLI VSPIW SJ RERR] ERH QEMH XS XLI EPEVQ SJ XLI TSXIRXMEPP] VIHYRHERX KEVHIRIV
48
49
By Adam Hart-Davis with a Foreword by Philip Pullman
T
his book takes a nostalgic look back to the imaginative world of William Heath Robinson, one of the few artists to have given his name to the English language. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the expression Heath Robinson is used to describe ‘any absurdly ingenious and impracticable device’. =SY [MPP ½ RH TPIRX] SJ XLIQ LIVI Very Heath Robinson is full of quirky contraptions for lighting cigars, making coffee, extinguishing candles and generally making everyday life easy. You can even mow the lawn in comfort thanks to the super deluxe Ransomes’ motor mower, complete with wireless, drinks cabinet, library ERH XMJ½ R XEFPI Adam Hart-Davis is the perfect person to set the artist’s mechanical fantasies in context, to tell the stories of rapid technological and social change that lay behind Heath Robinson’s idiosyncratic brand of satire and to laugh along with the jokes. Known for his popular television series What the Romans Did for Us and other programmes on the history of science and engineering, he is an avid fan of Heath Robinson and full of stories that lie behind the pictures. His love of Heath Robinson is endorsed by Philip Pullman, who conveys the charm of the Heath Robinson repertory company, the earnest, top-hatted men who oversee the machines and are ‘convinced they are being rational and clever and upto-date’. A dozen collections of Heath Robinson’s work have been published
CONTENTS Foreword by Philip Pullman Introduction Chapter 1 Ideas for Domestic Bliss Chapter 2 Keeping Up Appearances Chapter 3 Holidays and Pastimes Chapter 4 For Insatiable Sport Lovers Chapter 5 Man and Machine Chapter 6 Cars, ’Planes and Flying Trains Bibliography Acknowledgements and Picture Credits Index SPECIFICATIONS
240 pages 270 x 284 mm 10.6 x 11.2 in (landscape) £40 300 illustrations in colour, duotone and b/w April 2017 ISBN: 978 1 873329 48 1 Sales representation by SaltWay Global Ltd Distribution by Orca Book Services. To order call 01235 4655000, write to orders@orcabookservices.co.uk or visit www.orcabookservices.co.uk
over the last 80 years, starting in his lifetime, but most have been compilations of pictures with minimal text. Very Heath Robinson MW XLI ½ VWX to explain the technical and social background out of which the pictures grew and to weave art and history
into a connected story. It portrays Heath Robinson as the visionary he was, foreseeing technical advances decades before they occurred and commenting wryly on urban issues WYGL EW XVEJ½ G NEQW PMXXIV ERH ¾ EX living that regularly niggle us today.
First published in Great Britain in 2017 by Sheldrake Press, 188 Cavendish Road, London SW12 0DA. Telephone: +44 (0)20 8675 1767 Fax: +44 (0)20 8675 7736 E-mail: enquiries@sheldrakepress.co.uk Web-site: www.sheldrakepress.co.uk © Copyright 2017 Sheldrake Publications Ltd.