Trains
Planes
and
Automobiles
Trains
Planes
and
Automobiles
This year marks the 60th anniversary of a true children’s classic. CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG was written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar and first published back in 1964 with original illustrations by John Burningham.
For John Burningham, it was something of a dream job and a lucky break, all rolled into one. His spirit of adventure and fascination for all things moving can be traced back to his childhood, some of which was spent living in a caravan in the countryside followed by a succession of boarding schools, payed for by his parents who rented out their own home in Farnham.
Following school, John Burningham worked on farms, forests and school building sites across Europe, and as a Conscientious Objector, he’d been part of the Quaker Friends’ Ambulance Unit during the war. His concept of freedom had become inextricably linked with the open road – and his fascination with the vehicles that powered their way through.
In 1957 he took up a place at The Central School of Art and graduated with distinction. Already the strong link to narrative storytelling was evident. John’s first children’s book Borka was published in 1963, and won the prestigious Greenaway medal. It was then that its publisher Tom Maschler, asked Burningham to provide the illustrations for Fleming’s magical car story.
Suspending the car from the ceiling on fishing line
‘I decided that the best way of approaching it was to make a model of the car and photograph it,’ Burningham said.
‘The art is a combination of photography and illustration. That was quite adventurous in 1963.’
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was originally published in 3 parts
“Hang on everyone. For heavens sakes hang on!”
Mimsie and Jeremy and Jemima clutched the arm-rests beside them and just sat, stiff with excitement and with their eyes and their mouths wide open, thinking, Heavens above! What is going to happen next?
CHITTY-CHITTY- BANG-BANG hit the black tourer right in its middle with a tremendous crash and a tinkling of glass and knocked it right over on its side, spilling Joe the Monster, Soapy Sam and Man-Mountain Fink out onto the road.
Before Borka and Chitty, it was Harold Hutchinson, London Transport’s Head of Publicity who had first picked up on John’s potential. Hutchinson had a reputation for talent spotting, and had given early breaks to promising young artists such as Abram Games and Tom Eckersley. With his fascination for vehicles, John was a perfect choice for London Transport. Please Avoid the Rush Hours, a panel poster by Burningham, for display above seats on tube trains and buses, made its debut in 1961. Much of Burningham’s work was designed to encourage Londoners to get out and about, highlighting some of LT’s free manuals (such as A Day on the River, 1965) that were widely available at the time.
It wasn’t just an understanding of cars and how they work that imbued John’s illustrations for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but a mutual admiration for the spirit of the book that powers through so much of Burningham’s own later work. “Never say ‘no’ to adventures. Always say ‘yes’, otherwise you’ll lead a very dull life” says Commander Caractacus Pott, the hero of the story.
It was advice that John Burningham’s characters certainly took on board when they set off on their own adventures. Take Mr Gumpy, for instance. The classic Mr Gumpy’s Motor Car begins with an ordinary character in a familiar setting. The text tells us ‘Mr Gumpy was going for a ride in his car.’ But this is merely the starting point for a raucous day out in a car packed with passengers – a rabbit, a cat, a dog, a pig, a sheep, some chickens, a calf, a goat and of course, a couple of squabbling children. It’s a beautiful red vintage convertible, perfect for a drive across a country field on a sunny afternoon, but not so idyllic when the heavens open and the car becomes bogged down in the mud. There’s a lot of car trouble that crops up in John’s work, but he brings his own ’can do’ attitude towards these setbacks and they are soon back on the road and heading for home.
‘Mr Gumpy’s Motorcar was based on my first car which was a 1934 Austen Seven convertible. When the MOT was introduced, anybody owning an ancient vehicle was worried that it might fail the test and have to be scrapped. Hence my fantasy with Vultures awaiting the end of my lovely old car.’
The car sank deeper into the mud.
“Now we’re really stuck,” said Mr Gumpy. They all got out and pushed
No doubt John’s own experience of driving through Europe and Israel on a Vespa in the early 60s provided plenty of practical problem-solving. It’s this positivity that steers Father Christmas through his long and disaster-tinged journey to the top of the Roly Poly Mountain in Harvey Slumfenburger’s Christmas Present. Despite the havoc that snow and ice cause all the vehicles Father Christmas manages to commandeer, it’s his grit and sheer determination to deliver Harvey’s present that will triumph in the end. On the final page, Burningham teases us by not revealing what Harvey has received. But by now, as we all know, this is classic John Burningham; it’s up to you to decide. After all, it’s not the destination that ultimately matters – it’s the thrill of the ride that really counts.
But then the Jeep skidded and crashed through the fence and into a tree. Father Christmas was tumbled into the snow.
“I am so sorry, Father Christmas,” said the man. “I can take you no further. But if you go down the hill and across the river there is a boy with a motor bike. Perhaps the boy can help you.”
They had not gone very far when the skis broke with a crack and they both tumbled into the snow.
“I am so sorry, father Christmas,” said the girl. “My skis are broken and I can take you no further. But if you go up the slope and down onto the plain you will be near the bottom of Roly Poly Mountain, where there is a climber with a rope. Perhaps he can help you.”
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