William Rainey facts for kids

William Rainey (born July 21, 1852 – died January 24, 1936) was a British artist and illustrator. He was very busy drawing pictures for both books and magazines. In fact, he illustrated about 200 books during his career! He also loved to paint and often showed his artwork in exhibitions. William Rainey even wrote and illustrated six books himself. One was a colorful book for young children, and the other five were adventure stories for young people.

Early Life and Art School

William Rainey was born in Kennington, London, on July 21, 1852. He was one of eight children. His father, George Rainey, was a famous teacher and expert on the human body.

Even though William was first expected to have a career at sea, his father let him follow his passion for art instead. He studied at the South Kensington School of Art. By the time he was 18, he was a student at the famous Royal Academy of Arts.

Family Life

William Rainey married Harriet Matilda Bennett on June 11, 1877, in London. They had four children together:

• Florence Harriet Bennett (1878–1959)
• Edith Elsie Rainey (1882–1896), who sadly passed away as a teenager
• George William Bennett Rainey (1886–1956)
• Victor Thomas James Rainey (1889–1917), who was a soldier and died in World War I

Later Years and Passing

William Rainey's wife, Harriet, passed away in 1919 in Eastbourne. William had moved to Eastbourne around that time.

On January 24, 1936, William Rainey was walking by the sea in Eastbourne when he collapsed and died. He was close to his home. His daughter, Florence, took care of his will and estate.

William Rainey's Artwork

William Rainey showed his paintings in exhibitions throughout his life. This helped him get more jobs illustrating books and magazines. He often showed his work at the Royal Academy of Arts, starting in 1878. He exhibited there 17 times between 1878 and 1904.

He was also a member of important art groups like the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. He even won medals for his watercolor paintings at big international events in Chicago (1893) and Paris (1900). William Rainey continued to exhibit his art into the 1930s.

The Market Boat (1901). This watercolor painting was made by William Rainey.

Illustrating for Magazines

William Rainey drew pictures for many more magazines than books. Some of the popular magazines he illustrated for included:

• The Boy's Own Paper
• The Girl's Own Paper
• The Graphic
• The Illustrated London News
• Punch
• The Strand Magazine
• The Windsor Magazine

Magazine Illustration Examples

Rainey illustrated many stories for magazines. For example, he drew pictures for a story called Jock et ses amis (Jock and his Friends), which was published in a French magazine. {{gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200" File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d537 Jock et ses amis 1.png|What do you think of that? File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d541 Jock et ses amis 2.png|I don't want to go File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d573 Jock et ses amis 3.png|Jock managed to grab the leaping dog File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d574 Jock et ses amis 4.png|Mr. Grimshaw should have left you with me File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d575 Jock et ses amis 5.png|So you are Dick Pole's son? File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d603 Jock et ses amis 6.png|He had lunch while Tramp stood quietly in a chair File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d604 Jock et ses amis 7.png|The two men turn around at his sudden appearance. File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d605 Jock et ses amis 8.png|Then the child became silent, absorbed in his work File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d633 Jock et ses amis 9.png|My name is Mollv. File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d634 Jock et ses amis 10.png|I just sat in the stream File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d637 Jock et ses amis 11.png|He managed to tear himself away from this swamp File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d638 Jock et ses amis 12.png|I will tell your master that you are an old rascal File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d663 Jock et ses amis 13.png|I wanted to keep you always close to me. File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d665 Jock et ses amis 14.png|She looked at him with a pleading look File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d666 Jock et ses amis 15.png|I am happy with this last farewell File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d667 Jock et ses amis 16.png|Jock felt the warmest welcome at the farm File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d695 Jock et ses amis 17.png|He fled across the fields and hid File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d697 Jock et ses amis 18.png|You are too young, too unreasonable to decide such a case File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d699 Jock et ses amis 19.png|I didn't imagine it was so expensive File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d700 Jock et ses amis 20.png|Tramp and Jock shared equally. File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d726 Jock et ses amis 21.png|Then he slid to the window, and looked into the interior File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d727 Jock et ses amis 22.png|He resumed his run when the farmer reached the garden gate. File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d729 Jock et ses amis 23.png|The boy's clothes were covered in mud File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d731 Jock et ses amis 24.png|He stumbled a few steps and almost fell File:Hetzel Magasin1903 d761 Jock et ses amis 25.png|Mum, is it you? }}

He also illustrated stories for grown-ups. He was asked to draw for the very first story published in the new The Strand Magazine. This story was called A Deadly Dilemma. {{gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200" File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 14--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|The two lovers walk out File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 15--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|The lovers quarrel and part File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 16--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|She bursts into tears File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 17--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|Frightened by a young colt, she runs and falls on the railway line File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 18--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|Seeing his love fallen on the track and a train approaching, he grabs a pole to derail the train File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 19--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|The train driver pulls the brake lever, but too late File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 20--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|The engine derails even as he removed the pole, but no-one was hurt File:Deadly Dilemma, pg 21--The Strand Magazine, vol 1, no 1.png|He carries off his lady love }}

Illustrating Books

William Rainey was a very busy book illustrator. He illustrated around 200 different book titles! He worked with many well-known authors of his time, especially those who wrote stories for young people.

Some of the authors whose books he illustrated include:

• Harold Avery, who wrote school stories.
• F. S. Brereton, who wrote exciting tales of adventure.
• Harry Collingwood, known for his sea adventure stories.
• Daniel Defoe, who wrote Robinson Crusoe.
• Charles Dickens, for later editions of his famous novels.
• George Manville Fenn, a popular author of fiction for young adults.
• G. A. Henty, famous for his historical adventure stories for boys.
• T. T. Jeans, who wrote about life in the navy.
• Robert Leighton, a Scottish journalist and author of stories for young people.
• Bessie Marchant, who wrote adventure stories with brave girl heroines.
• L. T. Meade, a prolific writer of stories for girls.
• Mrs Molesworth, who wrote children's stories.
• Gordon Stables, a doctor who wrote adventure stories for boys.
• Herbert Strang, a team of writers who created adventure fiction for boys.
• Percy Westerman, another very busy author of boys' adventure stories.
• Charlotte Mary Yonge, who wrote many books to share her religious views.

Book Illustration Examples

As printing technology improved, it became cheaper to add color illustrations to books. William Rainey illustrated Plutarch's lives for boys and girls (1900) with 16 full-page color pictures. This was a lot, as most novels for young people usually had about four to twelve illustrations.

{{gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200" File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14756206946).jpg|Pelopidas Setting Out for Thebes File:Aristides and the Citizens.jpg|Aristides and the Citizen File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14778874012).jpg|Death of the Persian Admiral at Salamis File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14778877692).jpg|Themistocles at the Persian Court File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14799092573).jpg|Epaminondas Defending Pelopidas File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14778881952).jpg|Timoleon Setting Sail For Sicily File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14799096583).jpg|Alexander And Diogenes File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14592729027).jpg|The Quarrel Between Alexander And Clitus File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14799100843).jpg|Philopoemen in Prison File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14592734507).jpg|Coriolantus and the Matrons Of Rome File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14778893762).jpg|The Pursuit Of Caius Gracchus File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14592599208).jpg|Marius and the Ambassadors of the Cimbri File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14778925032).jpg|The Exiled Marius Amidst The Ruins Of Carthage File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14756275176).jpg|Caesar and the Pilot File:Plutarch's lives for boys and girls - being selected lives freely retold (1900) (14778936792).jpg|Brutus and his Companions After The Battle of Philippi }}

Books Written and Illustrated by William Rainey

Besides illustrating books for other authors, William Rainey also wrote and illustrated at least six of his own books. Here are some of them:

William Rainey's Legacy

Experts say that William Rainey's work combined the best of old art styles with new ideas. One art critic said that Rainey was among those artists "whose names, like their works, are household words." This means his art was very well-known and loved.

Another expert noted that his "delicate brush strokes reproduced well" in both color and black-and-white. He was considered a great, though sometimes unrecognized, illustrator who was "never conventional in his designs" and had a "fine sense of character."

His obituary, a notice published after his death, mentioned that "many a small boy who has gazed with speechless admiration at some new gift book has been unconsciously grateful to Mr Rainey, for a great deal of his early work was the illustrating of boys' books." This shows how much his illustrations meant to young readers.