Gilbert Holiday

Jane Badger Books

Charles Gilbert Holiday (1879-1937) was born on 29th January 1879. He was not generally known by his Christian name, but either Gilbert or “GS”. His early life was spent in St John’s Wood, London, where he used to watch the Royal Horse Artillery, which fuelled his early love of horses. There seems to be some disagreement in the Internet sources as to where he actually went to school: more sources mention Winchester, but as these often repeat the same information, that isn’t conclusive. David Cohen Fine Art (which I think is probably the most reliable) has him at school at both Westminster and Winchester. After that, all sources are agreed on his studying at the Royal Academy.

Gilbert Holiday worked as an illustrator at The Graphic, The Tatler and The Illustrated London News, and in 1908 married Mina Spencer from Guernsey. Guernsey was to feature often in his work. He shared a studio for a short while with Lionel Edwards, on whom he was an influence. He served as a gunner during the First World War, but was not dissuaded by this from portraying the military: he painted many military pictures, and many of the pictures in Horses and Soldiers were in military messes. He rode, and many of his pictures were of equestrian life. He hunted with the Woolwich Drag. He had a bad fall out with them, and crushed his spine, a fall which was to eventually lead to his death, and he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

He is widely thought of as one of the best sporting artists of the twentieth century: Snaffles wrote in his appreciation in Horses and Soldiers that his gun teams were “beyond criticism by either art critic or soldier”, and Guy Paget thought him the most successful artist to tackle polo (Sporting Pictures of England, Collins). Horses and Soldiers was published a year after Holiday’s death in 1937 by private subscription as a tribute; though it also records the fading of the horse from military use.

Gilbert Holiday died too early to see the main flourishing of the pony book. He did however illustrate two books, both by Moyra Charlton: The Midnight Steeplechase (1932) and Three White Stockings (1933). Both are very well worth seeking out: Gilbert Holiday was a master at conveying movement, and he had a lot of scope in The Midnight Steeplechase in particular, though both covers show excellent examples of his work.

Finding the books: the two pony books by Moyra Charlton are very easy to find, and should not be expensive. They are probably the cheapest way of getting hold of illustrations by this excellent artist. The real difficulties are Horses and Pictures, and The Worcestershire Regiment, both of which were privately printed which obviously limits the quantities available. We’ll All Go A’Hunting Today can be very expensive too; the other titles are all reasonably freely available.

Links and Sources:

David Cohen Fine Art: a picture of Gilbert Holiday, examples of his art, and biographical information

Biographical information and some pictures

A BBC article on Gilbert Holiday and Guernsey, which includes some examples of his work on heavy horses, and also an interview with Janet Westcott, his grand daughter

More examples of his work; more here

Gilbert Holiday