Sidney Sime facts for kids
Sidney Herbert Sime (1865 – 22 May 1941) was an English artist. He often signed his work as S. H. Sime. He is best known for his amazing and sometimes funny artwork. He especially created illustrations for the fantasy stories written by the Irish author Lord Dunsany.
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About Sidney Sime
His Early Life
Sidney Sime was born in Hulme, Manchester, in 1865. His family was very poor. When he was young, he worked for five years in coal mines in Yorkshire. He had to push carts, and he had some scary accidents there. One time, he almost died.
After the mines, he worked in a linen shop, then as a barber, and later as a sign painter. He even started his own sign-painting business. Finally, he went to the Liverpool School of Art to study art. He won many awards while he was there.
Becoming a Published Artist
Sidney Sime quickly became famous for his drawings. Many of his pictures had fantastic or magical themes. His art appeared in popular magazines like Pick-Me-Up, The Idler, and the Pall Mall Gazette.
Often, his magical drawings also had a hidden meaning. They were clever jokes about rich people and politicians. He once received money from an uncle and used it to buy The Idler magazine. But he sold it just two years later.
Working with Lord Dunsany
In 1904, a famous Irish author named Lord Dunsany asked Sime to illustrate his first book. The book was called The Gods of Pegāna and came out in 1905. This was the start of a long friendship and working relationship. Sime's drawings were very important in Dunsany's early books, especially until around 1922.
For one book, The Book of Wonder, some of the stories were even inspired by Sime's artwork! For three special limited editions of Dunsany's books, Sime personally signed each of his illustrations.
Art Shows and Later Years
Sime also worked on plays. He created the scenery and costumes for several shows. He had art exhibitions in 1923 and 1927 to show his work. In his later years, he made fewer drawings. However, he started using more color. Most of his earlier work was in black and white.
He also drew pictures for the front of other books. These included The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson and The House of Souls by Arthur Machen. Sidney Sime passed away on May 22, 1941. He was buried in St Mary's churchyard in Worplesdon, Surrey.
His wife, Mary, kept many of his artworks safe. When she died, she left them in her will to create The Sime Gallery. This gallery is in the Memorial Hall in Worplesdon, near Guildford, Surrey.
His Artistic Legacy
Today, Sidney Sime is mostly remembered for his amazing illustrations for Lord Dunsany's books.
Several collections of Sime's artwork have been published over the years. Even though they are not printed anymore, his art continues to inspire others. Famous illustrator Roger Dean has said Sime influenced his work. The writer H. P. Lovecraft also admired Sime's art. He even mentioned Sime in his stories "Pickman's Model" and "The Call of Cthulhu".
The Sime Gallery is still open in Worplesdon village. You can see many of his artworks there. Lord Dunsany and Howard de Walden also had large collections of Sime's work. Sadly, many of Howard de Walden's pieces were lost in a fire. However, Lord Dunsany's collection is still safe. It includes all the original drawings Sime made for Dunsany, plus some other colorful pieces. You can arrange to see this collection at Dunsany Castle in County Meath, Ireland.
