the archive of arthur vivian farrar - bernard quaritch...his wife hazel’s chauffeur business. the...
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The Archive of Arthur Vivian Farrar
A life in cartoons
The four incarnations of Farrar
An archive of more than a hundred individual pieces, spanning the course of Farrar’s creative
output, from teenage to old age, the majority of which are original drawings, with further fair
copies of works presented as an autobiography.
Born in 1895 in Halifax and educated in Southport, from a young age Arthur Farrar was a keen
draughtsman and writer; one of the earliest pieces in the collection is a certificate of merit from
The Royal Drawing Society.
Almost exclusively monochromatic, the corpus of Farrar’s work from beginning to end
employs the same basic materials, namely simply pen and ink on plain paper and card, with the
occasional addition of a watercolour wash.
Over the course of his creative career, Farrar was to experiment with a variety of styles,
becoming progressively more reductionist in philosophy, substantially dispensing with shading
and backdrop instead leaving the lines to do the talking. This pared down approach is
particularly evident in his later work. Intriguingly some of his earliest work is the most
innovative, with his works from the 1920s embracing both influences from Victorian-style
caricature, and using block colours and contrast in a way that still appears remarkably modern.
The first piece that sets a clear stylistic precedent for Farrar’s later work is dated 1918, when
the artist would have been 23 years old. From around this point onwards, Farrar was employed
by the Blackpool Times as resident cartoonist, and his production was prolific, both on subjects
of local and wider political interest, which works are signed AVF. Several of the cartoons
included in the archive come with newspaper cuttings showing the cartoon rendered in print.
At the same time Farrar was actively undertaking advertising work, both for the newspaper
itself, and for other wholly unrelated projects, from savings banks to fly-spray, signing his
works A. Vivian Farrar. Family feeling was also present, with some impressive Tenniel-
inspired theatre programme design for a relative’s dance school production, and trademarks for
his wife Hazel’s chauffeur business. The star item in the archive, dated 1930, is also in the
advertising bent, being original artwork for a proposed London underground poster.
Aside from a stint at the Camberwell School of Art in the mid 1920s – sadly only a couple of
life drawings from this period survive in the archive – this dichotomy of creative output was to
continue, and from the 40s onwards Farrar, by now London-based, was producing work in both
categories under the new ‘Viv’ monogram. The artist of the ubiquitous ‘White Heather’
children’s clothing brand (into which advertisements the Viv name was stealthily incorporated
as part of the scenery, Farrar also continued both newspaper and lighthearted cartooning against
the backdrop of war, including an intriguing quick sketch of zeppelins, and contributions to
The Transporter, magazine of the London Passenger Transport Board workers. Though
illustration was to remain his primary focus, he also had literary aspirations, producing several
drawings and series with accompanying humorous verses on a variety of subject matters. The
collection of cartoons presented as an autobiography shows Farrar visiting and revisiting
favourite themes, with a few pieces highlighting stages of his drafting processes as designs
become more sophisticated.
By the 1950s Farrar was additionally employing his skills for more topical ends, becoming a
noted contributor to animal rights publications, a few examples of which are included here,
including ‘Matoa’, a work in celebration of the rights of man and beast both written and
illustrated by Farrar, with the original artwork preserved alongside.
The latest piece in the collection is a written ‘lament, 1972 style, (and really with it – but
keeping it cool, man)’.
The significant majority of the collection is in very good condition, with a few pieces with
light edge wear and traces of old folds. It is preserved in a cloth box.
Far from ever becoming a household name, it is Farrar’s unassuming normalcy that renders
him worthy of attention. Very much the product of his time – there must have been countless
idle cartoonists then whose energies today would be diverted into far less productive pursuits
– the complete archive of his quiet humour and non-nonsense drawings is available for
£3750.
Farrar’s first dated work in a cartoon style
Work likely for The Blackpool Times
A selection of advertising work
From the ‘Curiosities at the Zoo’ series
Two variant styles
One of only two surviving drawings from Farrar’s time at Camberwell
An unusual item in colour
Farrar in Wartime
The drafting process in action
Quick sketches
Original drawing and finished product
Man and beast, a design that Farrar
reused in several places
A satire on the below photograph, once published in the Daily Mirror
Words and pictures
Further newspaper work
Political to the last
A Rough List
1. Early material
Certificates for drawing 1909
1912 two rose drawings. Pen ink and paint.
Milkmaid pen drawing. Signed AVF 1915.
2. Advertising
Want some petrol, get it yourself. 1918. 153 x 100mm. Pen and ink on paper.
Pen and ink drawings for tailors, hats and boot polish. AVF 1921
Printed versions of The Money Saver, Your Savings Bank, both images incorporating A
Vivian Farrar, one dated 1923.
Various adverts.
3. Camberwell Art School
Life drawings. A. Vivian Farrar, 1925.
4. Cartoons for newspapers
Unsigned:
Yesterdays [sic] traffic. 9cm roundel on a sheet 200 x 245mm. Pen and ink, watercolour wash
on card. Arthur Vivian Farrar, Lichfield Road, Northwood.
A. Vivian Farrar :
10 o’clock closing. Pen and ink on card. 1922
AVF:
1921 Government squandering of resources. Two variants. Pen and ink on paper. A few small
creases.
20 sheets 304 x 248mm. Pen and ink on paper. 1921: Socio-political interest, e.g. John Bull
protecting the unemployed from foreign imports, Blackpool local interest; some with the
printed version.
In the firelight glow 1922
Curiosities seen at the Zoo. 6 sheets. Pen and ink on card. 1924.
The Boston Tar-Baby or ‘Oh Boy – some Guy!’ 251 x 354mm. Watercolour and pencil
under-drawing on thick laid paper. Riverside types seen at Henley. Pen and ink on thick
card. 270 x 178mm. 1929 Cousin Penelope who rivals the graceful antelope
VIV:
Oddities & Objects. Old Faithful bidding a sad farewell to a bright young spark of to-day –
one of our leading lights in fact. 190 x 250 mm. Pen and ink on card. A very little offsetting,
typewritten title taped to verso. Viv monogram in image. A.V. Farrar. Lichfield Road.
He stood rooted to the spot. He took the words right out of my mouth. Two pencil drawings
on one sheet. VIV 1945.
10 Newspaper cartoons, pen and ink on card, 295 x 235mm. Explanatory text on verso. VIV.
Hawthorn road.
5 sheets, 291 x 228mm on paper, pen and ink drawings, ink verses. 1965. Mr MacJoucan and
the Elephant. Mr MacTelican. Mr Piggott. Not to Wory. Sir Fennimore Puddy Kat.
5. Miscellaneous
If you would be up-to-date you must be Behind-The-Times. Pen and ink on card. 1922.
Terpsichorean Pie. 1923. AVF authored script and program. May Farrar School of Dancing
program. Pen and ink and multiple printed drafts.
1950s animal rights printed drawings
12 cartoons, the drawings for MATOA (2 copies), by AVF, pen and ink on paper.
Explanatory text on verso, 292 x 228mm. VIV
Anti-hunting Cartoon inspired by newspaper photograph.1957
Positively no gambolling allowed 1959. Pen and ink and bright paint.
1971. Postal strike drawings.
6. Wartime
[Zeppelins] Feeding time on a ‘Beer-Beer’ site. 178 x 127mm Pencil drawing on paper. VIV
1943.
The Transporter, magazine of the London Passenger Transport Board workers . Issues June
and July 1941 each containing 2 cartoons signed A Vivian Farrar 1941.
7. Writings
A lament -1972 style (and really with it – but keeping it cool, man).
Through Dreamland on a Bicycle.
8. Autobiography
A folder of fair copies, including examples of Farrar’s work for the White Heather company,
and an illustrated childhood essay.