Harmsen van der Beek
Encyclopedia
Eelco Martinus ten Harmsen van der Beek (more commonly Harmsen van der Beek or just Beek) (October 8, 1897, Amsterdam
- July 24, 1953, Blaricum
) was a Dutch
illustrator and commercial artist. Abroad, he is best remembered for his illustration of Enid Blyton
's Noddy books.
Van der Beek was the creator of the Flipje character in the 1930s. This was a comic strip
featuring a character made of berries which was commissioned by a jam factory in Tiel
. He was already well known in the Netherlands
when he approached London
publishers Sampson Low
at the end of the 1940s. The result was the creation of the Noddy series for young children, authored by Enid Blyton
- still a major property for animators half a century later. Van der Beek simply signed his work as "Beek". The conscious intention to create a Disney-style sympathetic focus character — a European Mickey Mouse
— was reportedly a major factor. Beek's death in 1953 led to a new illustrator for Noddy books.
in Amsterdam from 1916 to 1918 and subsequently began a career as a commercial artist, as well as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines. One of the first books he illustrated was De Driewenschen (1920), by Jac van der Klei, a writer of children's books and school textbooks.
In 1935, Beek started to draw the comic strip Flipje for the jam factory "De Betuwe." It was a metre long and was displayed on shelves in front of the jam jars in stores. Beek's wife, Freddie Langeler (1899–1948), herself an artist, wrote the rhyming text for the strip and coloured in the drawings. In 1936, a printer named De Ijssel produced a cardboard theatre which could be used to display the comic strip as a slide show. It was illuminated from behind with a flashlight. It was dubbed the "Flipposcoop" (Flipposcope) and Flipje appeared in a special strip with instructions on how to assemble and load the theatre.
In 1953, Beek asked De Betuwe for permission to release the Flipje character in the United Kingdom. They refused and Beek severed relations with the company. He died six days later.
Beek and Langeler had a daughter, Fritzi Harmsen van Beek (1927–2009), who was a writer, poetess and herself an illustrator.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
- July 24, 1953, Blaricum
Blaricum
Blaricum is a municipality and village in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.It is known for its many monumental farm buildings, local cafes and restaurants, nature, several annual community events and extensive up-market residential areas...
) was a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
illustrator and commercial artist. Abroad, he is best remembered for his illustration of Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
's Noddy books.
Van der Beek was the creator of the Flipje character in the 1930s. This was a comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
featuring a character made of berries which was commissioned by a jam factory in Tiel
Tiel
' is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river on the south and the north side, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the east side. The city was founded in the 5th century AD....
. He was already well known in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
when he approached London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
publishers Sampson Low
Sampson Low
-Life:Born in London in November 1797, he was the son of Sampson Low, printer and publisher, of Berwick Street, Soho. He served a short apprenticeship with Lionel Booth, the proprietor of a circulating library, and, after a few years spent in the house of Longman & Co., began business in 1819 at 42...
at the end of the 1940s. The result was the creation of the Noddy series for young children, authored by Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
- still a major property for animators half a century later. Van der Beek simply signed his work as "Beek". The conscious intention to create a Disney-style sympathetic focus character — a European Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
— was reportedly a major factor. Beek's death in 1953 led to a new illustrator for Noddy books.
Biography
Beek's father was a pharmacist in Amsterdam. As a child, he and his brother Hein sold postcards which Beek had drawn, on the streets of Amsterdam. Eelco attended the Rijksschool voor Kunstnijverheid and the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende KunstenRijksakademie
The Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten is a two-year residency for visual artists, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Funded by the Dutch government, residents are granted a stipend and are allotted a personal studio in the former military barracks building in which the Rijksakademie is housed...
in Amsterdam from 1916 to 1918 and subsequently began a career as a commercial artist, as well as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines. One of the first books he illustrated was De Driewenschen (1920), by Jac van der Klei, a writer of children's books and school textbooks.
In 1935, Beek started to draw the comic strip Flipje for the jam factory "De Betuwe." It was a metre long and was displayed on shelves in front of the jam jars in stores. Beek's wife, Freddie Langeler (1899–1948), herself an artist, wrote the rhyming text for the strip and coloured in the drawings. In 1936, a printer named De Ijssel produced a cardboard theatre which could be used to display the comic strip as a slide show. It was illuminated from behind with a flashlight. It was dubbed the "Flipposcoop" (Flipposcope) and Flipje appeared in a special strip with instructions on how to assemble and load the theatre.
In 1953, Beek asked De Betuwe for permission to release the Flipje character in the United Kingdom. They refused and Beek severed relations with the company. He died six days later.
Beek and Langeler had a daughter, Fritzi Harmsen van Beek (1927–2009), who was a writer, poetess and herself an illustrator.