Leonard Bridgman (1895–1980) was a British artist and the former editor of

Jane's All the World's Aircraft ''Janes All the World's Aircraft'' (formerly Jane's) is an aviation annual publication founded by John Frederick Thomas Jane in 1909. Long issued by Sampson Low, Marston in Britain (with various publishers in the U.S.), it has been published by ...

First assignment

Bridgman's first assignment in aviation was in 1913 at the age of 18 years. One of his drawings was used to illustrate the Hendon

Air Race Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a pre ...

program. As payment, he received a flight in a 70-horsepower

Maurice Farman Maurice Alain Farman (21 March 1877 – 25 February 1964) was a British-French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer. Biography Born in Paris to English parents, he and his brothers Richard an ...

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

Career in the army

During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Bridgman served as an officer in

the Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

Journalism career

He is best remembered within the aviation industry as the journalist who joined C G Grey in 1923 on the staff of Jane's All the World's Aircraft after working on the staff at The Aeroplane.

Career as an editor

Bridgman also edited a book by the name of

Esso Air World Esso () is a trading name for ExxonMobil. Originally, the name was primarily used by its predecessor Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the original Standard Oil company in 1911. The company adopted the name "Esso" (from the phonet ...

from 1939 to 1963.

Awards

In 1956, in recognition of his contribution to technology, principally his work on Jane's All the World's Aircraft, Bridgman was awarded a

Paul Tissandier Diploma Paul Tissandier (19 February 1881 – 11 March 1945) was a French aviator. He was the treasurer of the ''Fédération Aéronautique Internationale'' (FAI) from its foundation (1905) to 1919, and its Secretary General from 1913 to 1945, and it aw ...

by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. By that time, he had been associated with flying and publishing for 43 years.

Career as an artist

Bridgman was also a talented artist and produced many aviation paintings, wash drawings and illustrations. He received commissions for numerous advertisements for British companies and illustrated Oliver Stewart's text for The Clouds Remember, one of the classics of aviation literature.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridgman, Leonard British draughtsmen British illustrators 20th-century British painters British male painters 1895 births 1980 deaths 20th-century British male artists