Celebrate Paddington's 60th anniversary with these glorious illustrations

Published on: 05 October 2018 Author: Catriona Wightman

Peggy Fortnum was the first person to ever illustrate Paddington - and her pictures became iconic. We're sharing some of them to mark Paddington's 60th anniversary...

Peggy Fortnum

Close your eyes and think of Paddington, and we bet you have a really clear image in your head! From the duffle coat to the hat, he's one of those children's book characters that has such an iconic look.

And for that, we have to give credit to Peggy Fortnum - the first ever person to illustrate Paddington when he arrived 60 years ago!

Peggy, who passed away in 2016, was originally commissioned to illustrate Michael Bond's brilliant A Bear Called Paddington when it was published in 1958.

She went on to work on the other books in the series, originally illustrating the loveable bear in black and white.

However, other illustrators - including her own niece, Caroline Nuttal-Smith - later added colour to some of Peggy's pictures.

Paddington Bear will be celebrating his 60th anniversary on 13 October, so get ready for the big day by grabbing a marmalade sandwich and enjoying our gallery of some of Peggy's lovely illustrations from over the years.

Take a look at Peggy Fortnum's Paddington illustrations over the years

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2002
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2003
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008
An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

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An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

Image 2 of 12

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

Image 3 of 12

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

Image 4 of 12

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

Image 5 of 12

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008

Image 6 of 12

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

Image 7 of 12

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2002

Image 8 of 12

An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

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An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2003

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An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1958

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An illustration of Paddington © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008

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To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington Bear, HarperCollins is publishing a hardback gift edition of A Bear Called Paddington (£20) and The Complete Adventures of Paddington (£40).

You can also find lots of fun ways to celebrate Paddington's 60th anniversary on the HarperCollins website here.

Read our review of A Bear Called Paddington

Topics: Classics, Features


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