ROBINSON (William Heath, 1872-1944, Humorous Artist)

Colour Reproduction of one of his illustrations Signed "W. Heath Robinson" in the bottom right hand corner underneath the image taken from Shakespeare's Comedy Twelfth Night, titled "For the rain it raineth every day", the picture shows the jester Feste carrying a lute standing in full-length pose roaring with laughter during a heavy downpour of rain and with tortured grey clouds in the sky, from Act V, Scene I, taken from Robinson's illustrated edition purlbished by Hodder and Stoughton in New York in 1908, 6½" x 6½", no place,

The term "Heath Robinson" entered the popular language during the First World War as a description of any unnecessarily complex and implausible contrivance, much as "Rube Goldberg machines" came to be used in the US from the 1920s onwards as a term for similar efforts. "Heath Robinson contraption" is perhaps more often used in relation to temporary fixes using ingenuity and whatever is to hand, often string and tape, or unlikely cannibalisations.

Item Date:  1908

Stock No:  40925      £125

             Add to Wish List     Order/Enquire