Conrad Heighton Leigh (27 May 1883 – 20 March 1958) was an English artist, illustrator and member of Brighton Arts Club.
Life and work
Conrad Leigh was born in
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
, Sussex.
[Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900-1950] His father was Thomas Leigh M.R.C.P.S., L.R.C.P. a surgeon.
[Who's Who in Art (Third Edition: 1934)] He attended Rostellan House School, Brighton and the Old Brighton Grammar School before studying at the
Brighton school of art (much later merged into
Brighton University
The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992.
Th ...
) under William H. Bond (1861–1918)
He went on to study at the
Slade School of Art
The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...
in London and the
Académie Julian
The () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907). The school was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number and qual ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.
He is particularly well known for his sporting and military subjects, many of which were used as illustrations for books, periodicals and popular
postcards
A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin Card stock, cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare.
In some places, one can send a ...
in the early half of the 20th century. His work featured regularly in the
Strand Magazine
''The Strand Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine founded by George Newnes, composed of short fiction and general interest articles. It was published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950, running to 711 issues, though the ...
, The
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
, Wide World and the
Windsor Magazine
''The Windsor Magazine'' was a monthly illustrated publication produced by Ward Lock & Co from January 1895 to September 1939 (537 issues).
The title page described it as "An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women".
It was bound as six-monthly ...
.
During the first decade of the 20th century Conrad Leigh was commissioned to paint a panel for the luncheon room at the Hall of the Carpenters' Company in London Wall, a livery company of the City of London. The hall was completely burnt out during an air raid of 10 May 1941, when a gas main in London wall ignited, however most of the pictures survived.
Third Hall – Carpenters Company
In 1915 Leigh was commissioned by the wallpaper manufacturers John Gilkes and Sons to provide designs for their wallpaper range and additionally designed their celebrated promotion poster in 1920 which has been reproduced and is retailed by many modern print and poster stores. The original period 1920 printing is highly sought after and exchanges hands for hundreds of pounds sterling. A further celebrated poster was designed by Leigh for the Brighton Carnival (24 June to 1 July c.1920s, actual year is unknown), again this poster has been recently reproduced and retailed in print and poster stores. Conrad Leigh worked at 68 Grand Parade, Brighton, now the site of the Brighton University The Faculty of Arts and Architecture
Founded as the Brighton School of Art in 1859, the University of Brighton School of Art and Media is an organisational part of the University of Brighton, with courses in the creative arts, visual communication, media, craft and fashion and text ...
.
He died in Brighton in 1958.[''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995'']
Collections
Brighton University (Aldrich Collection); Hull Museums Collections.
Partial bibliography
Illustrations for Books:
*''The Young Buglers: A Tale of the Peninsular War'' (1910) (written by George Alfred Henty)Olive Schreiner
Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a South African author, anti-war campaigner and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel '' The Story of an African Farm'' (1883), which has been highly acclaimed. It dea ...
)
*''John Gilkes and Sons Wallpapers and Decorations'' (1915) (pub. J.J. Keliher, London)
Illustrations for Postcards:
*''Coldstream Guards, Bank of England Picket'' (Published by Valentine & Sons Ltd)
*''Regimental Pipe Band, The Black Watch'' (Published by Valentine & Sons Ltd)
*''Royal Horse Guards, Changing of the Guard'' (Published by Valentine & Sons Ltd)
*''The Life Guards, The Drummer and Band in State Dress'' (Published by Valentine & Sons Ltd)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leigh, Conrad Heighton
20th-century English painters
English male painters
1883 births
1958 deaths
English children's book illustrators
20th-century English male artists