The Telegram

Illingworth was born in Barry, south Wales and studied at Cardiff Art School while working part time at the Western Mail. In 1920 he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art but left after 6 months to take up the full time job of cartoonist for the Western Mail. In 1926 he went to Paris to study at the Academy Julien and at the same time started freelance work as a magazine illustrator for such publications as Strand, Nash’s and Punch. He studied briefly at the Slade in 1928-9 before returning to Wales to set up his own studio. In 1937 Punch asked him to supply the principal weekly political cartoon, which had previously been supplied by either Sir Bernard Partridge or Ernest Shepard. In 1939 Illingworth returned to London and took a job as cartoonist for the Daily Mail where he was to remain for the next 30 years although he still maintained his connection with Punch where he became senior cartoonist in 1945. An exhibition of his work was held at the Wiggin Gallery of the Boston Public Library in 1970.