John Theodore Eardley Kenney (1911-1972)

Introduced by, and images of Kenney’s work supplied by, Valerie Payne

(a relative of John Kenney)

John Kenney was an illustrator and

sporting artist. He had trained at

the Leicester College of Art and

upon graduation was employed by

J.E Slater, a firm of commercial

artists located in Kibworth

Beauchamp. It was at Slaters that

he met his wife Peggy who was the

daughter of local farmers. They

lived at Victoria House in Smeeton

Road in Kibworth until the house

was demolished to allow the road to

be straightened and they moved to

Smeeton Westerby where they lived

for the rest of their lives. Peggy was

well known in the village both as a

long standing resident and

churchwarden.

War Sketches

John Kenney served with the 44th Searchlight Regiment and the 121st Light Anti-Aircraft

Regiment during World War ll. He landed in Normandy on D-Day, and although he was not

officially a war artist he used his artist skills to record the scenes that he saw as his regiment

moved across Europe. Initially he sketched on pieces of paper and then re sketched the scenes

that he had recorded when he was able to on A4 thin card. There are over 60 of these sketches

which are now kept and displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich. On his return

to England after the war he used the sketches to create additional art work.

After the war John Kenney returned

to work at Slaters. We believe that

it is at this time that he created a

number of posters such as the one

designed to advertise Wicksteed

Park (Kettering). In 1957 he

resigned, choosing to work as a

freelance artist.

Victoria House, Smeeton Road, Kibworth:

the Kenneys’ home

John Kenney at work - painting

The Grey Pony (1954) and The Shetland Pony (1955)

John Kenney provided the illustrations for these two self-written books along with others of

the ‘Truth in a Tale’ Series.

‘Thomas The Tank Engine’

John Kenney illustrated six books of The Railway Series. The author was the Rev. W Awdry,

now known fondly as ‘Thomas the Tank Engine Man’. The titles were

‘The Eight Famous Engines’ – No 12 (1957)

‘Duck and the Diesel Engine’ – No 13

‘The Little Old Engine’ – No 14

‘The Twin Engine’ – No 15

‘Branch Line Engines’ – No 16

‘Gallant Old Engine’ – No 17 (1962)

‘The choice of John Theodore

Eardley Kenney ………. was a happy

one: he brought a freshness and a

new liveliness to the twelfth title in

the series with pictures that

combine a lightness of touch with a

more realistic look.’

‘Remembering John Kenney,

Wilbert says: ‘We got on splendidly.’

‘He was interested in the work and

used to go down to his station and

draw railway engines from life.’

[Quotations from ‘Thomas the Tank

Engine Man’ by Brian Sibley 1995]

‘Belinda Beats The Band’

The Rev. Awdry also wrote ‘Belinda

the Beetle’ and ‘Belinda Beats the

Band.’ John Kenney was the

illustrator of the second book – a full

length children’s novel detailing the

adventures of a little red car (1961).

Railway at Kibworth:

inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine drawings

Ladybird Books

John Kenney produced a great many of the wonderful Ladybird Book images at the start of

what might be called the 'golden years' of Ladybird Books including most of the History classics

such as ‘Nelson’, ‘Captain Scott’, ‘Queen Elizabeth’, ‘Oliver Cromwell’ and ‘Stone Age Man in

Britain’.

King Alfred the Great Captain Scott

William the Conqueror Alexander the Great

Sir Walter Raleigh Robert the Bruce

The Story of Nelson Richard the Lion Heart

The First Queen Elizabeth Charles Dickens

The Story of Captain Cook Warwick the Kingmaker

Florence Nightingale Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt

Julius Caesar and Roman Britain James I and the Gunpowder Plot

The Story of Charles II Kings and Queens (Book 1)

David Livingstone Kings and Queens (Book 2)

Stone Age Man in Britain Napoleon

Christopher Columbus King John and Magna Carta

Marco Polo Joan of Arc

The Story of Henry V The Pilgrim Fathers

Oliver Cromwell

John Kenney also illustrated one of the best loved fiction books, ‘Tootles the Taxi’ and the

early Robin Hood series: ‘The Ambush’ and ‘The Silver Arrow’.

Sporting Artist

It was as a sporting artist that John Kenney gained his reputation. He had sketched horses

from his earliest childhood days and became part of the local hunting scene and spent many

happy days following the Fernie and Quorn hunts. He worked mainly in oils, but also in

watercolours and sometimes in pen and ink. His paintings included hunting, horse racing and

fishing scenes and also African wild animals. John Kenney received many commissions and

became popular in the USA. He had a number of exhibitions, in London, Leicester, New York

and Chicago.

Hunting scene: looking from Gumley towards Saddington reservoir

Sadly, ill-health was a constant limiting factor in John Kenney’s artistic career. It was his health

that forced him to stand down as the Rev. W. Awdry’s key artist. His eye sight began to fail

and in 1968 he lost the sight of one eye. He died in 1972 at the age of 61.

November 2017

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