(Cyril) Kenneth Bird (Cartoonist)

posted by Scott Andrew Bird

Kenneth Bird is best remembered for his cartoons in Punch magazine.

Kenneth Bird was born 17 December 1887, London. A solid education included Farnborough Park School, Hampshire, 1898-1902, Cheltenham College, 1902; engineering at King's College London, 1904-1908; evening art classes at the Regent Street Polytechnic and the School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography in Bolt Court. He graduated BSc in Civil Engineering in 1908, and qualified as AMICE (Associate Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers).

He worked at the naval dockyard at Rosyth, 1909; played rugby in the final international trials, 1913, and applied for release from the dockyard to join the army (Royal Engineers), 1914.

Kenneth married Mary ('Mollie') Holden, an artist, in 1914. In 1915 he was blown up by a shell at Gallipoli, suffering a shattered back and could not walk for three years. His first drawing was accepted by the editor of Punch magazine in 1916, entitled 'War's Brutalising Influence' and was signed 'Fougasse' (a French mine which might or might not go off). He contributed regularly to Punch, and started to publish his drawings in book form, as well as running a series of exhibitions and doing commercial work.

He was a Fellow of King's College London, 1936; Art Editor of Punch, 1937-1949, and Editor 1949-1953; Air-raid Warden in Kensington, from 1939; visited France at the request of the War Office, 1940, on his return he did over a thousand drawings and posters for various Ministries, on issues such as war propaganda and security (as an entirely unpaid honorary war job), creating illustrations and posters for the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force; member of the BBC Brains Trust; appointed CBE in 1946.

Kenneth died in London, 11 June 1965.