Frederick Henry Townsend Art

Frederick Henry Townsend was an illustrator and printmaker, born in London who studied at Lambeth School of Art 1885–89. As a student, he began contributing to journals including the Illustrated London News and during his career, his work was reproduced in many periodicals, including The Graphic, Pall Mall Magazine, The Sketch, Sphere and Tatler. Townsend’s first cartoon appeared in Punch in 1896 and by 1905 he had become the magazine's first Art Editor. Townsend’s brother-in-law Frank Reynolds, also an illustrator succeeded him in this post. In 1913, he turned to etch and within two years was elected an Associate of the RE. During World War I, Townsend was responsible for designing propaganda posters; one of War Rages in France was used by the US government to raise money for food supplies. Townsend also exhibited at the FAS, NEAC, RA and Leicester Galleries. Townsend illustrated the work of several famous authors including Dickens, Kipling and Charlotte Brontë. Examples of his work are in the collections of the BM and V&A.