Wikipedia

Charles Shepard (artist)

Charles Shepard[a], FSA (1892–1976) was an English artist and sculptor, best known for his work, as Shep, designing commercial posters, especially for the travel industry.

Charles Shepard
Charles Shepard in 1914
BornJoseph Charles Mardel Shepard Edit this on Wikidata
10 April 1892 Edit this on Wikidata
Kingsthorpe Edit this on Wikidata
Died13 December 1976 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 84)
Slough Edit this on Wikidata
OccupationVisual artist, sculptor Edit this on Wikidata
Awards
  • Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries Edit this on Wikidata

Early life

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Joseph Charles Mardel Shepard was born in Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire,[5] on 10 April 1892.[6][7] In childhood he heard a performance of a Bach cantata in church, and during it was impressed by the light coming through the church transept's stained glass windows.[8] This led, once his schooling was complete, to his studying stained glass making under Paul Woodroffe.[8]

Career

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A colourful map, centred on Southampton, with rays spreading outwards over the Isle of Wight, each headed by the flag of a foreign destination (about 30 in all) including Brazil, Japan and, notably, a German Swastika flag.
A 1936 poster for the Southern Railway and Southampton Docks, signed "Shep" and printed by the Baynard Press.[8]

Shepard was commissioned into the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, the Essex Regiment on 7 March 1913, prior to the start of World War I.[9] On the outbreak of the war he was attached to the 2nd Battalion, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 2 February 1915.[10] By the end of the war he was attached to 1st Garrison Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment.[11] He resigned his commission on grounds on ill-health on 18 December 1926.[12] He held the rank of Temporary Captain while commandant of a prisoner-of-war camp, relinquishing this on 1 March 1919.[13][14]

After the war, he obtained an assistant's position at the Baynard Press,[8] eventually rising to be head of the studio.[6]

Among others, he designed posters for British Railways,[15] London North Eastern Railway,[16] London Transport,[6] Pullman,[2] the Orient Line,[8] the Royal Horticultural Society,[8] the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company,[6] the Southern Railway,[6] Union-Castle Line,[4] United States Lines,[17] and White Star Line.[4] He also designed the cover of the 1929 Christmas edition of The Radio Times.[18] He signed most of these works "Shep".

He painted a headpiece, in oils, for the Southern Railway's indicator board at Southampton Docks.[8]

During World War II Shepard was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve's Administrative and Special Duties Branch as a Pilot Officer on 22 June 1940.[19] He was promoted to Flying Officer on 22 July 1941.[20] An erroneous report that he had resigned his commission on 21 July 1942[21] was cancelled on 15 September 1942.[22][23] He relinquished his commission from the RAFVR, on 10 February 1954, keeping the rank of Flight Officer.[24]

He was appointed a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in February 1945.[25]

In 1961, when he described himself as an "artist, designer and sculptor", Shepard's working address was given as Slough.[26]

Legacy

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Shepard died at Slough on 13 December 1976, aged 84.[b][7][27]

His posters are held by the Victoria and Albert Museum,[16] Science Museum Group,[6] and London Transport Museum.[26] The latter also has some of his correspondence.[26] Other posters have been auctioned by Bonhams and Christie's.[2][3]

Notes

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  1. ↑ His surname is often misspelled as Sheperd[1] or Shepherd.[2][3][4]
  2. ↑ Some sources wrongly give a death date of 1962[2]

References

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  1. ↑ "Artist Biography". The Vintage Poster. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Charles Shepherd (SHEP) (1892-1962); The Golden Arrow Pullman;". Bonhams. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Shep (Charles Shepherd 1892-) Southern Railway, the Gateway of the World". Christie's. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Charles Shepherd (Shep)". Artnet. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "SHEPARD Joseph Charles Marder 1892-1976". Artist Biographies. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Charles Shepherd". Science Museum Group Collection. Science Museum Group. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  7. 1 2 "We remember Joseph Charles Mardel Shepard". Lives of the First World War. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anon (June 1937). "The Work of 'Shep'". Art and Industry. 22 (132): 228–233.
  9. ↑ "Army List August 1914". Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "No. 29241". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 23 July 1915. p. 7306.
  11. ↑ "Army List February 1919".
  12. ↑ "No. 33230". The London Gazette. 17 December 1926. p. 8272.
  13. ↑ "No. 31394". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 6 June 1919. p. 7411.
  14. ↑ "UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 for J C M Shepard". Ancestry. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "God Save The Queen - Shep". Original Railway Posters. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Shepard, Charles (artist)". V&A Explore the Collections. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "Charles Shepherd Art Value Price Guide". Invaluable. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "[Cover]". The Radio Times. No. 325. 20 December 1929.
  19. ↑ "No. 34898". The London Gazette. 16 July 1940. p. 4369.
  20. ↑ "No. 35260". The London Gazette. 29 August 1941. p. 5032.
  21. ↑ "No. 35638". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 17 July 1942. p. 3199.
  22. ↑ "No. 35704". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 15 September 1942. p. 4015.
  23. ↑ "SAL/05/03/11/17/12". Society of Antiquaries Collections Online. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  24. ↑ "No. 40271". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 7 September 1954. p. 5144.
  25. ↑ "Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries". The Antiquaries Journal. 25 (1–2): 105. April 1945. doi:10.1017/S0003581500016322.
  26. 1 2 3 "Letter; from Charles Shepard (Shep) to H. F. Hutchison, 21 September 1961". London Transport Museum. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  27. ↑ "Proceedings and Obituaries". The Antiquaries Journal. 57 (2). Oxford University Press: 446. September 1977. doi:10.1017/S0003581500031838.
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