Did you know that a children’s book illustrator lived right here? This blue plaque commemorates Edward Ardizzone. He was an artist and illustrator who lived here from 1920 to 1972.
Edward Jeffrey Irving Ardizzone was born in 1900. He sometimes signed his work “DIZ”. Ardizzone was a British painter, printmaker, and war artist. But he is best known as an author and illustrator of children’s books.
Ardizzone’s father was French and worked in the French colonial empire. His mother was English. Edward was born in French Indochina. The family returned to England when he was five. He was raised by his maternal grandmother in Suffolk.
Ardizzone attended Clayesmore School. There, an art teacher encouraged his interest in drawing. He tried to enlist in the British Army but was refused. Ardizzone worked as an office clerk. He took evening classes at the Westminster School of Art. In 1922, Ardizzone became a British citizen. He left his office job in 1926 to become a freelance artist.
In 1929, Ardizzone illustrated In a Glass Darkly. He also created advertising material and illustrations for magazines. In 1936, he began his Tim series of books. Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain was published that year. These books featured the maritime adventures of a young boy.
During the Second World War, Ardizzone became a war artist. He served with the British Expeditionary Force. He depicted the retreat through France and Belgium. Later, he sketched troops in training camps. He also sketched in the London Underground during the Blitz. Ardizzone traveled to Scotland, North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. By the end of the war, he had created almost 400 sketches and watercolours.
After the war, Ardizzone resumed his freelance career. He illustrated books, created cover artwork, and designed advertisements. He also wrote and illustrated more books. Tim All Alone won the Greenaway Medal in 1956. The Tim series continued until 1972.
Besides his own books, Ardizzone illustrated books by other authors. These included works by Anthony Trollope, H. E. Bates, and Eleanor Farjeon. He also illustrated Clive King’s Stig of the Dump. His cousin, Christianna Brand, wrote the Nurse Matilda series.
In the early 1970s, Ardizzone illustrated new editions of Graham Greene’s Little books. He also illustrated a children’s version of Don Quixote. Ardizzone taught at Camberwell School of Art and the Royal College of Art. He retired from teaching in 1960.
Ardizzone married Catherine Josephine Berkley Anderson in 1929. They had two sons and a daughter. He died of a heart attack in 1979 in Rodmersham Green.
The British Library published a bibliography of his works in 2003. This blue plaque was unveiled in 2007. It commemorates Ardizzone’s home at 130 Elgin Avenue. Edward Ardizzone left a lasting legacy. His illustrations continue to delight readers of all ages. He captured life’s simple moments with gentle lines and delicate watercolours.