Flight Through the Ages: A 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Guild of Aviation Artists

By Artists of Aviation

“A joy . . . covers the period from the Great War to the modern era with diversions into air shows and some of the personalities of the Guild.” —War History Online

Flight Through the Ages was the title of the first annual exhibition of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1971. This book celebrates 50 years of exhibitions and includes paintings by almost one hundred Guild artists, past and present, depicting aircraft from the earliest airborne activities through to the present day. There are balloons and airships, fighters and bombers from both world wars, including Spitfires and Lancasters, airliners from the early years of air travel through Concorde and on to the present day. There are also gliders and helicopters and the current generation of advanced aircraft among some 200 illustrations, most in full color.

Artists include some of the most well-known British artists of their day and the works display imagination and creativity in a variety of different styles and treatments that bring flying machines to life. There are historical scenes and aircraft in their natural environment, showing action and some of the aviators and others from the world of aviation. There is a short history of the Guild and a step-by-step guide to one artist’s approach to the subject.

“A magnificent series of images in a variety of styles . . . This is a lovely book in which to browse, feast your eyes and ponder on the magic of aviation.” —Flying in Ireland



“Inspiration, pure and simple . . . this book provides a luscious ready reference of many of aviation’s most beautiful creations, each in a moment in time that draws us into its story.” —IPMS/USA

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781526763785

Book preview

FLIGHT THROUGH THE AGES

A 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Guild of Aviation Artists

Cover image: Bombing Up - Short Stirling by Michael Turner FGAvA (President) Gouache

Plus thumbnail images from Anthony Cowland FGAvA, Chris French FGAvA, Ron Wong FGAvA, Keith Woodcock FGAvA, Denis Pannett FGAvA, and Frank Wootton OBE FPGAvA

FLIGHT THROUGH THE AGES

A 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Guild of Aviation Artists

GUILD OF AVIATION ARTISTS

First published in Great Britain in 2020 by

PEN AND SWORD TRANSPORT

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Yorkshire - Philadelphia

Copyright © Guild of Aviation Artists, 2020

ISBN 978 1 52676 377 8

eISBN 978 1 52676 378 5

Mobi ISBN 978 1 52676 379 2

The right of the Guild of Aviation Artists to be identified as Authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of Pen & Sword Books Archaeology, Atlas, Aviation, Battleground, Discovery, Family History, History, Maritime, Military, Naval, Politics, Railways, Select, Transport, True Crime, Fiction, Frontline Books, Leo Cooper, Praetorian Press, Seaforth Publishing, Wharncliffe and White Owl.

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CONTENTS

Introduction and Acknowledgements

Foreword

About The Guild of Aviation Artists

Early Aviation, Balloons, Airships

First World War

1920s and 1930s

Second World War

The Jet Age and the Cold War

A New Millennium

Air Shows

Civil Aviation

Rotary-winged Aircraft

Gliding

Museums

Portraits

Producing an Aviation Painting

INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THIS BOOK WOULD not have been possible without the contributions of the many artists who have supported the Guild across 50 years of annual exhibitions and who have given permission for their works to be included. We have made every effort to contact all artists or beneficiaries whose work appears in this book. However, if we have left anyone out, please would they contact the publishers. I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the founders of the Guild, including the late Frank Wootton OBE, founder president; the late Mrs Yvonne Bonham, and Hugo Trotter DFC, one-time trustee, secretary long-standing supporter and now honorary vice president of the Guild. Our current president, Michael Turner FGAvA, was also a founder member and has been in office since 1988.

I would like to thank the following members