Tom Browne (1870 – 1910) was an extremely popular English strip cartoonist, painter and illustrator of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods.
Browne started earning a wage as a milliner's errand boy in 1882. From there he was apprenticed to a lithographic printer and eked out a living with freelance cartoons for London comic papers. He received 30 shillings for his first strip, published by the magazine “Scraps,” and called "He Knew How To Do It".
Comic Cuts, a British comic book was founded by Alfred Harmsworth in 1890. Cheaply printed, it proved to be the ideal medium for Browne's bold drawing style. Browne's comic strips soon became so popular that he moved to London and into a studio in Wollaton House at Westcombe Park, London. Here he turned out six full-page strips a week, but also managed to produce illustrations for several British magazines. His cartoons appeared in the magazines Punch, The Tatler and other highly rated periodicals of the day. The logo of Johnnie Walker whiskey, the strutting, monocled character, was created by Browne in 1908.
Browne was a founding member of the London Sketch Club, was publicly acclaimed and was made a “Royal Illustrator.” His cycling trips took him all over the world, while illustrations of these exploits appeared in the newspapers. Returning to Nottingham, he started a colour printing firm and joined the Territorial Army.
He also created the comic strip Weary Willie and Tired Tim, inspired by Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, which appeared on the front page of Illustrated Chips from 1896 to 1953. Browne played a major part in the evolution of the British comic style, influencing Bruce Bairnsfather, Didley Watkins and Leo Baxendale. His strip 'Airy Alf and Bouncing Billy' first appeared in The Big Budget around 1900, and was later continued by Ralph Hodgson aka "Yorick". His comic, Dan Leno, portrayed the Victorian English music hall comedian and appeared in Dan Leno's Comic Journal in 1898. Echoes of his impudent urchins can still be seen in The Beano and The Dandy comics today.
More of his characters were 'Little Willy and Tiny Tim', 'Mr. Stankey Deadstone and Company', 'The Rajah' and 'Don Quixote de Tintogs'. Browne died after surgery for cancer at the age of 39. He was buried with military honours at Shooter’s Hill.
For more information on Browne see part 1.
For earlier works see parts 1 - 7 also.
For earlier works see parts 1 - 7 also.
This is part 8 of 9 parts on the works of Tom Browne:
Rugby Football series:
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| A soldier and a man |
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| Ever of thee I am fondly dreaming |
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| Maggie Murphy's home |
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| Extremes meet. |
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| Fuss about a Trifle. "Clumsy brute !!!" |
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| Fuss about a Trifle. Pa boards a tram car. |
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| Fuss about a Trifle. Pa objects to his young hopeful smoking cigarettes. |
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| In the paddock. |
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| In the park |
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| Loading a pill for somebody. |
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| Love must be blind. |
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| Ma "Hullo! Who's there?' Burglar "Nobody" Ma "Ah! I must have been mistaken" Turns over & goes to sleep again |
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| May good luck be out-poured on you this Christmas. Homeward Bound. Gone Lame. |
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| May you clasp the hand of good fortune with a firm grip this Christmas. United, we stand, Divided, we fall. |
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| Mother-in-law arrives on a few day's visit. |
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| Mother-in-Law the peace-maker. |
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| Mother-In-Law departs. |
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| Motoring in the City. Getting mixed |
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| Motoring is so exciting. |
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| My word! If I can catch you bending - |
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| Off duty. |
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| On their Honeymoon, "Tickets please" |
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| On their honeymoon, The arrival at the hotel |
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| On their Honeymoon, The first tiff. |
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| One for the Caddy. |
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| "One touch of Nature makes the whole World kin." Fry's Chocolate advertisement |
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| Our Little Ailments. Aunt Maria has the mumps. |
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| Our Little Ailments. Ma has a cold & cannot speak. "Been kept late at the office my dear" |
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| Partridge shooting. A nervous gun. |
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| Possession is nine points of the law. |
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| Pre-historic motor car |
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| Reggie does not appreciate mother-in-law's pets. |
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| Rustic- "Say Mister. Can you play the "Ole Bull an' Bush?" |
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| Salisbury Cathedral. |
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| Something gone wrong |
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| Spooning. In a dog-cart |
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| Spooning. On the Heath. |
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| Spooning. On the Pier. |
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| Spooning. On the stile. |
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| Spooning. Up the river. |
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| Spooning. Widow and Widower |
Rugby Football series:
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| "Football." "Who's got the ball?" |
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| "Well! That's a Try anyway." |
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| A Mark |
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| A Try |
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| Are we downhearted? No !!! |
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| Take him low |
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| Touch |
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| Well tackled |