A. E. Jackson

• Born 1873 · Died 1952

Alfred Edward Frederick Jackson (1873–1952) was a British illustrator renowned for his work between 1910 and 1920, particularly for his editions of classics such as Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels, The Water Babies, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Born in Kentish Town, London, in the third quarter of 1873, Jackson was the son of Galienne Jackson, a draper from Birmingham, and his wife, Eliza. He studied at the Camden School of Art, where he earned gold and silver medals for his work. In 1901, at the age of 28, he had his first painting exhibited at the Royal Academy. Early in his career, Jackson contributed illustrations to The Sketch, created covers for the Daily Mail Sixpenny Novel series, and illustrated children's books. Starting in 1907, he provided illustrations for The Playbox, a supplement to the magazine The World and His Wife. After World War I, Jackson extensively contributed to nursery comics at Amalgamated Press, including The Playbox, Tiger Tim's Weekly, and The Rainbow. He was known for his weekly "Bonnie Bluebell" illustrations and numerous spot illustrations for prose stories. His daughters, Muriel and Elaine, followed in his footsteps, working on many of the same titles. Jackson resided in Hastings for many years and was a member of the East Sussex Arts Club. He passed away in Hailsham, Sussex, in the second quarter of 1952.