Bernard Partridge

Sir John Bernard Partridge (11 October 1861 – 9 August 1945)[1] was an English illustrator. Born in London, he was the son of Professor Richard Partridge, F.R.S., president of the Royal College of Surgeons, and nephew of John Partridge, portrait-painter extraordinary to Queen Victoria. For some years he was well known as an actor under the name of Bernard Gould.[2]

The 1904 cartoon on the Entente Cordiale by John Bernard Partridge; John Bull stalks off with a defiant Marianne and turns his back on the Kaiser, who pretends not to care.

Bernard Partridge's signature, 1916

Caricature of Hall Caine signed JBP in Vanity Fair, 1896.

Partridge was educated at Stonyhurst College, and after matriculating at the University of London entered the office of Dunn & Hansom, architects.[3] He then joined for a couple of years a firm of stained-glass designers (Lavers, Barraud and Westlake), learning drapery and ornament; and then studied and executed church ornament under Philip Westlake, 1880–1884. He began illustration for the press and practised watercolour painting, but his chief success was derived from book illustration.

In 1891 he joined the staff of Punch [4] and, in 1910, became its chief cartoonist, replacing Edward Linley Sambourne. During his time at Punch, Partridge published several cartoons showing his support for the Suffragist movement. He was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and of The Pastel Society. In 1915 he designed posters to encourage recruitment to the British Army, some of which are now held at the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, including Take up the Sword of Justice which featured the sinking of the RMS Lusitania (H33861/33).

In 1925 he was knighted by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and gave his support to the government during the General Strike.