L. C. Mitchell - Roads in New Zealand Part Two

Further selections of illustrations from A. H. & A. W. Reed book Roads in New Zealand by Leonard Cornwall Mitchell (1901 - 1971).
Previous posts on the work of New Zealand artist Leonard Cornwall Mitchell:

L. C. Mitchell - Roads in New Zealand.

Cartoons + Stamp and Coin designs by L. C. Mitchell. New Zealand Tourism paintings and gag cartoons by L. C. Mitchell.
Illustrations and gag cartoons from the New Zealand Artist's Annual 1931.
L. C. Mitchell in his studio and New Zealand Tourism Illustrations.

L. C. Mitchell - Roads in New Zealand

Selection of illustrations from A. H. & A. W. Reed book Roads in New Zealand by Leonard Cornwall Mitchell (1901 - 1971).

Previous posts on the work of New Zealand artist Leonard Cornwall Mitchell:

Cartoons + Stamp and Coin designs by L. C. Mitchell.
New Zealand Tourism paintings and gag cartoons by L. C. Mitchell.
Illustrations and gag cartoons from the New Zealand Artist's Annual 1931.
L. C. Mitchell in his studio and New Zealand Tourism Illustrations.

The Art of Leonard Cornwall Mitchell

 L. C. Mitchell’s painted cover for the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, August 1949

Previous posts on the work of New Zealand artist Leonard Cornwall Mitchell:

New Zealand Tourism paintings and gag cartoons by L. C. Mitchell.

Illustrations and gag cartoons from the New Zealand Artist's Annual 1931.

L. C. Mitchell in his studio and New Zealand Tourism Illustrations.

Mitchell contributed numerous designs for New Zealand stamps. Images below are original artwork drawn to commemorate the 1949 Royal Visit of King George VI. both Illustrations were drawn on thick paper with pen and ink at 168mm by 201mm.

 

 Click for large view

In 1944 Hereford Printing Co Ltd in Wellington published a collection of cartoons and sketches by Mitchell with verse by Ian MacKay.

British and Australian currency was used in New Zealand prior to 1933. New Zealand's first coinage was launched late that year with designs created by British numismatic artist George Kruger-Gray. Mitchell contributed designs for the halfpenny and penny coins launched in 1939 (dated 1940). These remained legal tender until New Zealand's currency was decimalised on 10th July, 1967.

 

Sources: New Zealand Journal of Agriculture,August 1949 Nancy Swarbrick. 'Rural media - Radio', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 14-Nov-12 URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/18029/listening-to-the-radio, http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=9429.0 , http://grosvenorauctions.com

Leonard Cornwall Mitchell

Leonard Cornwall Mitchell designing in his Wellington studio. Photographed by an Evening Post Staff photographer on the 20th of June 1970.

Some more examples of Leonard Mitchell's advertising and New Zealand tourism illustrations courtesy the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Robert Semple presenting a prize to Leonard Cornwall Mitchell, winner of a road safety sticker competition. The second prize winner B A Marris looks on. Behind the men, a page of 12 sticker designs is displayed on a bookcase. Photograph taken circa 6 December 1937, by an unidentified photographer for the Evening Post.

Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall, 1901-1971 :New Zealand for your next holiday. Issued by the New Zealand Government Publicity Office. Wholly printed in New Zealand by Coulls Somerville Wilkie Limited, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland [ca 1925-1929]

Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall, 1901-1971 :Mitre Peak, Milford Sound, New Zealand / Government Tourist Department.

 

[Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall], 1901-1971 :New Zealand Centennial Exhibition Wellington, Nov. 1939 - May 1940. [Sticker. 1939]

Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall, 1901-1971 :Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand / Govt Tourist Dept. G H Loney, Government Printer, Wellington [1934-1937].

 

New Zealand Post Office Savings Bank :Your boy - look ahead a few years! / L C Mitchell. [1945?]

Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall 1901-1971 :Sport in New Zealand; trout and salmon fishing, big game fishing. [ca 1935].

  Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall 1901-1971 :Rotorua and New Zealand's thermal wonderland. [1930s].

Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall, 1901-1971 :Haere mai! (Welcome) to New Zealand. [Booklet front cover. 1932?]

Mitchell, Leonard Cornwall, 1901-1971 :Mt Egmont, 8,260 ft. New Zealand / Government Tourist Department. G H Loney, Government Printer, Wellington. [1934-1937]

Leonard Cornwall Mitchell 1901-1971

Leonard Cornwall Mitchell (1901-1971) was born in Wellington and completed a signwriting apprenticeship in Palmerston North, before commencing work for the Government Publicity Department on tourism paraphenalia. Mitchell designed posters, booklet covers, coins and over 90 NZ stamps. Mitchell's son Victor Leonard William Mitchell (1925-1980) became an artist in his own right and was the owner of Wellington's mid century Lambton Art Galleries. The colour images below come from a tourism booklet that combined Mitchell's bold colour depictions with black and white photography showcasing early twentieth century New Zealand.

I found a couple examples of Mitchell's work as a cartoonist in the New Zealand edition of Aussie magazine dated June 14th 1924. The New Zealand edition of Aussie featured a New Zealand section edited by journalist Pat Lawlor who also edited a series of New Zealand Artist's annual that featured many of fine cartoonists of the era in the late 1920's/early 1930's. Other New Zealand cartoonists featured in Aussie included Noel Cook, Geoffrey Keith Townshend, Unk White, and George Duncan.

Grateful thanks to Geoff Harrison for supplying the Aussie Magazine images.