Harry Wingfield (1910-2002) was an English illustrator known for his drawings in the Ladybird Books Key Words Reading Scheme, featuring the characters Peter and Jane, throughout the 1960s and 70s. Wingfield lived locally, in Aldridge, and in 2002 an exhibition was held at The New Art Gallery Walsall to celebrate his work. (Unfortunately, he passed away just after the exhibition opened.)

After the exhibition, his children donated a body of material from his studio to the Gallery, including photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings and other source materials for his work, as well as some sketches and drawings. They also gifted five finished paintings to the Permanent Collection.

Volunteers have started to catalogue this archive, which will eventually become accessible for researchers online via our collections database.

If anyone would like to share any more information about Harry Wingfield, find out more about the archive project, or may be interested in volunteering opportunities with our archives, please contact Collections Curator, Julie Brown, email:  julie.brown@walsall.gov.uk