John Batchelor

John Henry Batchelor MBE (1936-2019) was an English artist and technical illustrator, particularly known for his clear and detailed cutaway illustrations of vehicles and military equipment, and his stamp illustrations. His work can be seen in many hundreds of late-20th-century works on armour, fighting vehicles, ships (often in conjunction with Antony Preston), firearms and heavy ordnance (for example the many works of Ian V. Hogg), etc. His Purnell renown became such that he was sought out by Time Life Books to provide his work for inclusion in some of their 1980s book series which included The Seafarers (1978–81), The Epic of Flight (1980–83), the non-proprietary but by Time-Life marketed The Vietnam Experience (1981-88), and The Third Reich (1988–91). Several other publishers, such as Prentice-Hall, Scribner's, Everest House Publishers or Bison Books, have done likewise for some of their contemporary book publications on military hardware.

He was also commissioned by commercial organizations, notably Trans World Airlines, to produce reference illustrations for historical and technical publications.

During his career Batchelor designed 864 stamps for 49 countries The 49 countries don't include Great Britain, whose Post Office never answered the letters he sent over the years. Batchelor’s stamp designs feature in his 2016 book John Batchelor’s World of Stamps: A Unique Collection.

Batchelor was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to illustration. He also received awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Society of Illustrators.

Personal life John Batchelor lived in Dorset with his second wife, Elizabeth, whom he married in Canada in the early 1980s.