Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Enid used many illustrators in her books. Discuss them here.
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pete9012S
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by pete9012S »

Can you identify the original illustration the garish colourised SS book cover is based on at all Rob?
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Tony Summerfield »

pete9012S wrote:Image

Some more delightful Maxey's in full colour. Can you guess the titles of these two Famous Five's?
Smuggler's Top and Down to the Sea!
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Moonraker »

At least this version has some sea!

Image
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I think Il Castello Sulla Scogliera is Five Fall Into Adventure. The cover posted by Pete shows Simmy's caravan and the cover posted by Nigel (Moonraker) appears to show Red Tower with two of the children.
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Rob Houghton »

pete9012S wrote:Can you identify the original illustration the garish colourised SS book cover is based on at all Rob?
It's from 'The Secret Seven' - page 21 of the paperback.

I always think it gives a brilliant impression of just how small and cosy the Secret Seven's shed is! :-D

Image
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by pete9012S »

Image

I think Tony and Anita are right. I thought they were both from Five Have A Wonderful Time!!! :oops: :oops: :oops:

ImageImage

Thanks too for nailing the Secret Seven pic Rob - I thought you'd know which one it was!
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Rob Houghton »

well...I had to check the paperback versions I have in order to find out - I didn't use my 'card-index mind' lol! ;-) But luckily it was in the first book I checked! :D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Moonraker »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:I think Il Castello Sulla Scogliera is Five Fall Into Adventure.
It literally translates as The Castle on the Cliff - which to me seems to fit The Secret of Cliff Castle, more than an FF book, although a Google search shows it as a Famous Five title. I've looked at the title description via Google, and it is now The Famous Five: Enid Blyton's Castle on the Reef!

It certainly seems to fit Fall into Adventure better than Go Down to the Sea.

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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by daanton »

Rob Houghton wrote:My favourites as a kid -

Image

Although its a shame that The Cave doesn't show the brilliant wrap-around cover designs on these annuals, rather than just the front cover. ;-)

Image

Sorry to put these in the Betty Maxey thread - but as the brilliant illustrators of the annuals were never credited, sadly, they are unlikely to ever have a thread of their own, unlike the Marvelous Maxey! :-(
Indeed. :( And neither of the illustrations even done by notable UK comic artist Mike Noble.

[ For what it's worth, these Purnell annuals in a way redeemed themselves featuring tv series photos! ]
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by pete9012S »

ImageImage

That's what puts me off them slightly.
The first annual Hike came out before the 1970's tv series and is my favourite annual of all time. It's absolutely superb.It was a dream to receive it as a surprise back in the day.

Betty Maxey 1968 illustrations/Excerpt 1977 Purnell Annual

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" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Rob Houghton »

I like all of the annual illustrators, and I also don't mind the TV photos either - although I must admit I prefer the annuals like those above to the full TV cover annuals that replaced them...and once the annuals began to feature colour inside them I feel this spoiled them still further!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Betty Maxey's Internals - In Colour!

Post by Nigel D »

I remember back in the early 70s when I started picking up the Knight editions of the FF books my heart would sink a little when I opened one and found it contained the Maxey illustrations ! Funny because I rather like the covers of the books, just not the internal pictures. Uncle Quentin should not look like Ron Jeremy or be wearing flares !!!
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