Francis Donkin Bedford

Educated at Westminster School.

Studied architecture at the South Kensington Schools. After leaving, he joined the practice of Sir Arthur Blomfield, the ecclesiastical architect.

Decided that a career as an architect was not for him and enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools looking to his future as a painter and illustrator.

Visited France (1885), Spain and Tangier (1890) and Italy (1891) and produced many sketches (now in the RIBA Drawings Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum).

Illustrated his first books including:-
"A Book of Nursery Rhymes" (1897)
"The Books of Shops" (1899)
"Four and Twenty Toilers" (1900)
and "The Visit to London" (1902)
For further details and illustrations of these 4 books click here

Exhibited his paintings at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (up to 1949 when aged 85) and other Galleries.

Married Helen Carter (1874-1949) who became a fine protrait painter. They had four children - all daughters, none of whom married. Both Dorothy (who specialised in woodcuts) and Celia (oils) exhibited at the Royal Academy and other Galleries.

Elected to the Art Workers' Guild, based at 6 Queen Square, Bloomsbury. Two of their past-masters included Walter Crane and Arthur Rackham.

Died peacefully at 29 Ladbroke Square, Kensington aged 89.

Capri 1891 by FD Bedford

Felix 1915 by Helen Bedford

On the Sands 1955 by Celia Bedford





1864	Born at 5 Royal Crescent, Kensington, the sixth child (of ten) of Edwin and Caroline Bedford. Edwin was a Solicitor and Clerk to the Tallow Chandlers Livery Company in the City of London; Carolines's maiden name was Donkin whose family ran a prominent engineering firm in south-east London - its greatest invention was the tin can. Edwin's father was Francis Octavius Bedford, a well-known and successful church architect. One of his commisions was St John the Evangelist Church (circa 1820) which still stands at the southern end of Waterloo Bridge.

1877 - 1881	Educated at Westminster School.

1882 - 1883	Studied architecture at the South Kensington Schools. After leaving, he joined the practice of Sir Arthur Blomfield, the ecclesiastical architect.

1885	Decided that a career as an architect was not for him and enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools looking to his future as a painter and illustrator.

1885 - 1891	Visited France (1885), Spain and Tangier (1890) and Italy (1891) and produced many sketches (now in the RIBA Drawings Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum).

1890s	Illustrated his first books including:- "A Book of Nursery Rhymes" (1897) "The Books of Shops" (1899) "Four and Twenty Toilers" (1900) and "The Visit to London" (1902) For further details and illustrations of these 4 books click here

1892 Onwards	Exhibited his paintings at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (up to 1949 when aged 85) and other Galleries.

1895	Married Helen Carter (1874-1949) who became a fine protrait painter. They had four children - all daughters, none of whom married. Both Dorothy (who specialised in woodcuts) and Celia (oils) exhibited at the Royal Academy and other Galleries.

1901	Elected to the Art Workers' Guild, based at 6 Queen Square, Bloomsbury. Two of their past-masters included Walter Crane and Arthur Rackham.

1914 Onwards	The majority of Frank's illustration work was done piror to the Great War. However, the years following were not easy for him as the style of the Victorian and Edwardian era of book illustration had moved on and Frank, now in his 60's, found it difficult to adapt and his work fell out of fashion. Nevertheless he continued to illustrate what books came his way including three by Charles Dickens - "The Magic Fishbone" (1921) "A Christmas Carol" (1923) and "The Cricket on the Hearth" (1927).

1954	Died peacefully at 29 Ladbroke Square, Kensington aged 89.