Harry Theaker Biography

Harry Theaker (1873-1954) was an illustrator, designer, painter and teacher, born in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, the son of George Theaker, headmaster of Burslem School of Art.

Apprenticed to the Doulton pottery as a painter, Harry attended the Burslem School. He then went on to the Royal College of Art, where he won a gold medal for design and a travelling scholarship, which took him to Italy and further studies.

For 36 years he was design master and then headmaster, 1931–8, of Regent Street Polytechnic. As a member, he showed extensively at RBA, also at RA, RI and Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. He was a painter of stained glass windows and a prolific illustrator of books for children.

In 1911, with the approval of Alice illustrator John Tenniel, he was commissioned by the book's publisher Macmillan to colour sixteen of Tenniel’s plates for an edition of Alice in which he coloured her dress blue – which has remained so in the popular imagination ever since.

Illustrated by Theaker:-

The Ingoldsby Legends 1911

Alice's Adventure in Wonderland 1911 (Colour versions of Tenniel's original illustrations)

Through the Looking-Glass 1911 (Colour versions of Tenniel's original illustrations)

Bible Stories for Children 1926

The Water Babies 1922, Charles Kingsley

Grimm’s Fairy Tales, 1930 (with 16/20/24 plates)

Children's Stories from the Bible (48 plates)

Children's Stories from the Arabian Knights

Robin Hood 1930s (with 16/24 plates)

King Arthur & his Knights

There's a Story to Tell, Old & New Testament

Stories of King Arthur 1937 (with 20/24/48 plates)