James E. McConnell
Encyclopedia
James Edwin McConnell was a British
book and magazine cover art
ist best known for Western
and historical subjects.
, Northumberland
, McConnell worked for a local blockmaker before moving to London where he continued in the same trade whilst studying part time at St. Martin's School
. He went freelance in 1933, working through the Partridge Agency with whom he remained until 1953.
McConnell's early freelance work was in advertising and designing book covers. After the Second World War
he established himself as one of the leading artists for the burgeoning paperback market. For British readers, his Western
covers were the essence of the Wild West
, albeit the Hollywood version, with their clean cut, square-jawed cowboy
heroes riding through sun drenched landscapes.
McConnell was widely employed to tackle other genre
s, producing covers for Collins Crime Club and Thriller Book Club titles. He was one of the main cover artists
on Look and Learn
, the educational weekly, where he proved he was the master of any subject his editors required. Over the years, McConnell painted over 1,000 covers and frontispiece
illustrations. He also a contributed to the artwork in the American Roll of Honour, which lies in the American Chapel, St Paul's Cathedral
, London.
As he was primarily a paperback cover artist, McConnell has rarely come to the attention of critics, although an exhibition of his Western
artwork was held at the Association of Illustrators Gallery in London in 1976.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
book and magazine cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
ist best known for Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and historical subjects.
Life
Born in BedlingtonBedlington
Bedlington is a town in Northumberland, to the north of the Tyne and Wear urban area. It lies north of Newcastle and southeast of the county town of Morpeth. Other nearby places include Ashington to the north northeast, Blyth to the east and Cramlington to the south.The parish of Bedlington...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, McConnell worked for a local blockmaker before moving to London where he continued in the same trade whilst studying part time at St. Martin's School
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
. He went freelance in 1933, working through the Partridge Agency with whom he remained until 1953.
McConnell's early freelance work was in advertising and designing book covers. After the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he established himself as one of the leading artists for the burgeoning paperback market. For British readers, his Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
covers were the essence of the Wild West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, albeit the Hollywood version, with their clean cut, square-jawed cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
heroes riding through sun drenched landscapes.
McConnell was widely employed to tackle other genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, producing covers for Collins Crime Club and Thriller Book Club titles. He was one of the main cover artists
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
on Look and Learn
Look and Learn
Look and Learn was a British weekly educational magazine for children published by Fleetway Publications Ltd from 1962 until 1982. It contained educational text articles that covered a wide variety of topics from volcanoes to the Loch Ness Monster; a long running science fiction comic strip, The...
, the educational weekly, where he proved he was the master of any subject his editors required. Over the years, McConnell painted over 1,000 covers and frontispiece
Book frontispiece
A frontispiece is a decorative illustration facing a book's title page. The frontispiece is the verso opposite the recto title page. Elaborate engraved frontispieces were in frequent use, especially in Bibles and in scholarly books, and many are masterpieces of engraving...
illustrations. He also a contributed to the artwork in the American Roll of Honour, which lies in the American Chapel, St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, London.
As he was primarily a paperback cover artist, McConnell has rarely come to the attention of critics, although an exhibition of his Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
artwork was held at the Association of Illustrators Gallery in London in 1976.