Carol Mintum Barker (born 16 February 1938) is an English artist-designer, author and illustrator who is notable for her poster designs, postage stamps and book illustrations, many of them for children.
Life and career Barker is the daughter of British artist John Rowland Barker. As a child she was evacuated to New York during World War II, but returned to Britain and attended Bournemouth College of Art whilst also studying privately at her father's studio. She went on to study painting at Chelsea Polytechnic and illustration at the Central School of Arts and Crafts under the tutelage of Laurence Scarfe, Merlyn Evans and Raymond Roberts.
Barker became a freelance illustrator in 1958. She was married and had two sons.
Her entry in the Dictionary of British Book Illustrators states "Her work, in pen and ink, watercolour, collage and wax, is decorative rather than spatial in character."
As a book illustrator, Barker collaborated with many authors including John Cunliffe, Spike Milligan and H. E. Bates who wrote the prose for his children's book Achilles the Donkey around her pictures. So integral were her illustrations that in some instances she was given equal billing as a co-author on the book jackets. This can be seen on the covers of Spike Milligan's A Bald Twit Lion and H. E. Bates Achilles the Donkey series amongst others. She would go on to be nominated twice for the Kate Greenaway medal.
As a graphic artist, Barker is known to have designed posters and artwork for London Transport and posters and stamps for the Post Office. Her poster "Children's London" was praised by Modern Publicity magazine in 1974 as one of the best British posters of the previous year. Examples of her work can be found in the collections of the British Council, London Transport Museum, The Postal Museum and The Science Museum.
Selected awards YearWorkAwardResultRef.1962Achilles the Donkey by H. E. Bates (Dennis Dobson)Kate Greenaway Medal 1972King Midas and the Golden Touch by Carol Barker (Franklin Watts)Kate Greenaway Medal UnknownUnknownThe Scotsman 'International Book Jacket Competition'
Selected exhibitions 1988: (November) Barker's work was exhibited at the Barbican Centre in London. It featured illustrations, drawings and photographs of her visit to a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan and to the drought-prone Indian state of Rajasthan whilst carrying out research for her books, A Question of Refugees and A Question of Hunger. 2017–2019: Barker's work for London Transport was selected as part of London Transport Museum's Poster Girls exhibition commemorating female graphic designers and was featured in an accompanying BBC news article.
Bibliography
Novels YearTitlePublisherNotes1968The Boy and the LionDennis DobsonPublished in the US as The Boy and the Lion on the Wall by Franklin Watts1972King Midas and the Golden TouchFranklin WattsNominated for the Kate Greenaway medal (1972)
Non-fiction YearTitlePublisherNotes1971Birds and BeastsFranklin WattsReviewed in Los Angeles Times1973The AlphabetHamlyn1974How the World BeganAbelard-Schuman1976An Oba of BeninMacdonald & Jane'sTranslated into German, Norwegian, Welsh1976A Prince of IslamMacdonald & Jane'sTranslated into German, Norwegian, Welsh Reviewed in Teaching History1979Arjun in His Village in IndiaOxford University PressTranslated into German, Swedish. Reviews1982Kayode in His Village in NigeriaOxford University Press1984Village in NigeriaA&C BlackTranslated into Dutch1985Ananda in Sri Lanka. A story of BuddhismHamish Hamilton1986The United Nations. Its work in the WorldMacdonald1988A Question of RefugeesMacdonald1988A Question of Feeding the WorldMacdonald1998The Tibetans. Life in exileMantrain association with The Tibet Foundation
Illustration / graphic design YearAuthorWork / TitlePublisherNotes1959Time and TuneBBC School RadioAutumn Term Booklet1960Postal AddressesThe Post Office (GPO)Poster. PRD 10771960London Post Offices and StreetsThe Post Office (GPO)Poster. PRD 10721960Post Offices in the United KingdomThe Post Office (GPO)Poster. PRD 10761960Sylvia Townsend WarnerThe Cat's Cradle-BookChatto & WindusDustjacket1960Maureen HowardNot a Word about NightingalesSecker & WarburgDustjacket1961Curtis HarnackThe Work of an Ancient HandWeidenfeld & NicolsonDustjacket1961Fred KitchenThe Ploughman Homeward PlodsCountry Book ClubDustjacket1961Paul GallicoToo Many GhostsMichael JosephDustjacket1961Time and TuneBBC School RadioSpring Term Booklet1961Jane Brown GemmillThe Little Bear and the PrincessAbelard-Schuman1962Aileen FisherI wonder how, I wonder whyAbelard-Schuman1962Frances ArmytageGeorgian EnglandGinn6 volumes: Life in a country house. Life in a manufacturing town. Roads and waterways. Sailors and ships. Life in a village. A trip to a watering place.1962Famous Stories of High AdventureArthur BarkerSelected and edited by Leonard Reginald Gribble1962Swift AnnualOdhams Press1962H. E. BatesAchilles the DonkeyDennis DobsonNominated for the Kate Greenaway medal (1962)1962Norman WymerGilbert and SullivanMethuen1962Roger Lancelyn GreenAncient GreeceRupert Hart Davis1962Lyn IrvineField with GeeseCountry Book ClubDustjacket1962Mildred LewisThe Honourable SwordDeutschDustjacket1962Sylvia Townsend WarnerA Spirit RisesChatto & WindusDustjacket1963Mariana Villa-GilbertMrs Galbraith's AirChatto & WindusDustjacket1963Daniel RobertsNibbleneatOxford University Press1963H. E. BatesAchilles and DianaDennis Dobson1963Eileen ColwellA Storyteller's Choice. A selection of stories with notes on how to tell themBodley Head1963Julia RhysThe Tinsel NovemberRupert Hart-Davis1964H. E. BatesAchilles and the TwinsDennis Dobson1964John CunliffeFarmer Barnes Buys a PigDeutsch1964Andre LaunayCaviare and After. The Truth About Luxury FoodMacdonald1964Yvonne MeynierThe School with a DifferenceAbelard-Schuman1964Norman GoodlandOld Stan's Diary: Autumn & Winter on the FarmCountry Book ClubDustjacket1964Miss ReadCountry BunchCountry Book ClubDustjacket1964Leo WalmsleyParadise CreekCountry Book ClubDustjacket1964Annabel DilkeRule III, Pretend to be NiceChatto & WindusDustjacket1965Mabel WattsThe Light Across Piney ValleyAbelard-Schuman1965Noel Lloyd & Geoffrey PalmerQuest for PrehistoryDennis Dobson1965LauchmonenOld Thom's HarvestEyre & SpottiswoodeDustjacket1965Jocelyn DaveyA Killing in HatsChatto & WindusDustjacket1966Perdita BuchanGirl with a ZebraChatto & WindusDustjacket1966Georgina GrovesMorning GloryWhiting & Wheaton1966John CunliffeFarmer Barnes and BluebellDeutsch1966Rain and Shine. Nursery Rhymes for the Four SeasonsBlackie1966Fenton HouseLondon TransportPoster. Printed by The Baynard Press1967Rumer GoddenThe Kitchen MadonnaMacmillan1967Andre LaunayPosh FoodPenguin1968Janet McNeillIt's Snowing OutsideMacmillan1968Richard ParkerLost in a ShopMacmillan1968Mariana Villa-GilbertA Jingle-Jangle SongChatto & WindusDustjacket1968Spike MilliganThe Bald Twit LionDennis Dobson1969London MuseumLondon TransportPoster. Printed by John Swain and Son Ltd1969Amanda McKittrick RosHelen HuddlesonChatto & Windus1969Margaret MahyPillycock's ShopDennis Dobson1970P. M. PickardThe Dancing HarpGinn1971Margaret MahyThe Princess and the ClownDennis Dobson1971Troubadour (No. 1)Malcolm Peltu and Adel HamadiMagazine cover in conjunction with Adel Hamadi1972Helen HokeDragons, Dragons, DragonsFranklin Watts1972Sandie OramThe Sun PeopleMacdonald & Co1973Nicholas FiskEmma Borrows a Cup of SugarHeinemann1973Children's LondonLondon TransportPoster. Printed by The Baynard Press. Praised by Modern Publicity in 1974 as one of the best British posters of the previous year.1974Margaret MayoIf You Should Meet a Crocodile, and Other VerseKaye & Ward1975Helen HokeDevils, Devils, DevilsFranklin Watts1979Audrey Aarons & Hugh HawesChild-to-ChildMacmillan PressPublished on behalf of the Child to Child programme1979London's MuseumsLondon Transport Printed by Impress Ltd1982Spike MilliganSir Nobonk and the Terrible, Awful, Dreadful, Naughty, Nasty DragonM. J. Hobbs1983Miriam HodgsonA Touch of Gold. Stories from the Greek MythsMethuen1986John SnellingBuddhist StoriesWayland1987John SnellingThe Life of the BuddhaWayland1992Umaya Aafjes-SinnaduraiThe Kingdom of Benin: National Curriculum History Key Stage 2Commonwealth InstitutePublished by Curriculum Development and Resources Section
References
External links Interviewed by Leslie Smith on BBC Radio in 1963 Artist profile at London Transport Museum Selected works at The Postal Museum Entry in Illustrators of children's books, 1744–1945 Entry with photograph in Something about the author