Jean Adamson

Jean Adamson, , ( Bailey; 29 February 1928 – 15 December 2024) was a British writer and illustrator of children's books. She was best known for the Topsy and Tim books, the first of which was published in 1960 and which have sold 27 million copies. Adamson's creations were also featured widely on television in 84 episodes of Topsy and Tim.

Early life Adamson was born Jean Bailey in Peckham, London, on 29 February 1928.

From an early age, Adamson had an inquisitive and creative mind: "I spent a lot of time when I was a child, reading children's picture books, peering at the illustrations and puzzling about how they were done. I added my own illustrations on the lovely, empty fly-leaves."

In Autumn 1944, aged 16, Adamson went to Goldsmiths College to study illustration and design. "Art school at sixteen, just before the war ended, was like heaven – I couldn't believe it, drawing all day!" There were only about twenty students there, this being war time. Most of the campus had been destroyed during the blitz and only the art department was still intact. The air raid service had taken over the main campus, and barrage balloons were attached to the buildings and grounds.

At Goldsmiths, Adamson studied the history of book illustration, and learned the whole process of printing. "We had to know about this so that we could adapt our designs to technical requirements. The course lasted five years". One of Adamson's tutors was Graham Sutherland, who had himself been a student at the College."

In 1948, Adamson graduated from Goldsmiths and continued to teach illustration and design at the college for another five years.

Adamson met her future husband and writing partner, Gareth Adamson, while studying at Goldsmiths.

Rope designs Adamson made rope sculptures and embroidered ornaments: "She did several rope decorations for cocktail bars and in the Black Swan at Belford there is a plaque of a swan made out of plaited straw which she designed."

Since its creation, the coronation lion has intrigued scholars and conservationists, who have made attempts at finding, restoring and displaying the piece.

Storyman After a year or two of freelancing, Adamson joined a cartoon film unit as Storyman. who worked at Disney before co-founding UPA. In 1954, Hilberman left America for London and seized on an opportunity to lead a new animation unit at Pearl and Dean, to make cartoon commercials and longer sponsored films. Hilberman's unit produced films such as Calling All Salesmen (1956) and Pan-Tele-Tron (1957) as well as a range of uncredited marketing films.

Marriage to Gareth Adamson In 1957, Jean married Gareth Adamson and the couple moved to 1 Baillifgate, Alnwick, where they would later have three children. It was in Alnwick that the Adamsons began writing Topsy and Tim. In 1960, an interviewer observed, "The book she and her husband are now busy with will tell the day to day adventures of a brother and sister, and when complete there will be seven books in the series. They are now working on the third."

Topsy and Tim

In the winter of 1960, two twins with black hair, rosy cheeks and zig-zag fringes began appearing in newspaper adverts and on bookshelves across the UK.

Through an agent the Adamsons learned of the opportunity to work for Blackies' publishers to produce a new range of storybooks for the young age range. Their background at Goldsmiths as students of illustration and Gareth's experience as a writer, when incapacitated through illness as a youth, equipped them admirably to embark on the challenge before them." Gareth then drafted text and Jean illustrated miniature roughs for the first three Topsy and Tim stories and presented them to Blackie. "Blackie agreed and the couple set to work on the first title. Its immediate success, enhanced by the fact that unusually for the day it was in full colour, ensured that more books followed in rapid succession".

While the Topsy and Tim characters were an instant hit with children, One early reviewer said: "More suitable for younger children, who listen as mother reads, are two attractive books from Blackie, "TOPSY AND TIM'S SATURDAY BOOK" and "TOPSY AND TIM'S FRIDAY BOOK." Plenty of colourful drawings, an easy to understand story and a low price of 3s 6d, make them very good value. Another early reviewer said: "In Topsy and Tim's Wednesday Book: (Blackie, 3s. 6d.)" you can find out what happens when one morning Topsy and Tim look out of their window and see a black and white rabbit eating the flowers in their garden. This is a very nice story which I am sure you will enjoy." Topsy and Tim's Friday Book and Saturday Book (Blackie 3s. 6d. each) are well designed first readers with good pictures in colour.

The Adamsons' skills were a good complement. Jean commented, "we worked very well together because we respected one another and we had our roles". Adamson always advocated for equality in Topsy and Tim. "I did change the names around sometimes if I thought he'd given Tim all the best bits" she revealed. Adamson said the choice of girl and boy twins was a way of ensuring gender equality. "In most of the books at the time girl characters were very much in second place. They didn't seem to be able to get themselves dirty and have the same adventures." The stories were thoroughly researched, in order to accurately reflect real life: "they made sure that the depictions of these first experiences were well-researched so that parents and children could trust them."

Death of Gareth Adamson, 1982 Gareth died of a brain tumour on 29 January 1982, leaving Jean alone with the daunting task of doing the work of two people.

Around the time of Gareth's death, the first examples of the new Topsy and Tim art-style can be observed. The new art-style first appears as the main art-style in ABC Frieze (1982) and features in some of the puzzles in Big Fun Book (1983).

Topsy and Tim after Gareth By the end of the millennium, Ladybird had become the new publisher. Topsy and Tim had: approximately 150 titles to date, with 4 CD ROMs, a 60 minute video and activity playbooks extending the stories into new directions. "A modern fable, genuinely funny, with uncluttered pictures in bold bright colours"; "Excellent quasi-folk-tale developed with style and humour… the drawing shows keen observation"; "A pointed fable with charming illustrations". These reviews are found in the blurb of Three Discontented Clowns (1966).

In 1965, Gareth won first prize in a BBC Northeast competition for his play, The Patternmaker (1965).

Known publications (besides Topsy and Tim) No. Date Title Publisher Adamson's Role 1 1951 The Little Circus (A Washable Rag Book) Self Published (printed by foot) Author-illustrator - 2 1952 The Tired Train & Other Stories Max Parish London Illustrator - 3 1962 ABC: A Picture Alphabet Blackie & Son Author-illustrator - 4 1969 Animal Bounce Blackie & Son Author-illustrator 5 1972 Cheerful Cookery by Noel Chanter Blackie & Son Illustrator - 6 1972 The Village Green World's Work Ltd.; The Windmill Press Author-illustrator 7 1974 The Chestnut Tree Littlehampton Book Services Ltd Author-illustrator

Known joint publications with Gareth Adamson (besides Topsy and Tim) No. Date Title Publisher 1 1962 Neighbours in the Park (Harrap Flying Foal series) Herbert van Thal 2 1966 The Ahmed Story Whiting & Wheaton (and simultaneously in Canada, Ryerson Press) 3 1968 Family Tree Chambers 41972Hop Like MeChambers

Adamsons' original Yorkshire TV productions Series Title Production company Program Production Date BFI Identifier Yorky and Ablam Kish Yorky's Tool Set Yorkshire TV My World 8 March 1971 606631 Yorky and Ablam Kish Yorky's Beach Ball Yorkshire TV My World 24 May 1971 606649 Yorky and Ablam Kish Yorky and the Big Black Dog Yorkshire TV My World 13 November 1972 601781 Yorky and Ablam Kish Yorky's Accident Yorkshire TV My World 31 January 1972 657209 - Tom Built a House Yorkshire TV - 23 November 1970 573915 - Puppet Caravan Yorkshire TV My World 17 May 1971 616608 - The Weather Yorkshire TV My World 17 May 1971 616608 - The Pine Tree Yorkshire TV - 7 February 1972 660110 - Untitled Yorkshire TV My World 23 November 1970 596079

Lost Topsy and Tim Episodes from the 1960s There are traces of 1960s Topsy and Tim TV and radio productions, but details of these are scarce. "Irresistible Topsy & Tim: … featured on Television and Radio, parents and teachers praise them – and children love TOPSY AND TIM's adventures."

Awards Adamson received an MBE in the 2000 New Year Honours for her services to children's literature and in 2016,

Death Adamson died in Cottenham, England, on 15 December 2024, at the age of 96.