Original artwork “How To Swim” on Cotman Board by Sidney G. Hedges

In extremely good condition, this a truly unique pen, ink and wash drawing on Cotman board of various strokes in swimming made by the prolific artist and author Sidney George Hedges (1897-1974). The exact origins of the picture are unknown but it may be an illustration for the book “How to swim crawl” or was created in support of a shorter article on swimming for one of his many books or book contributions. It is dated around the late 1920s or 1930 and may have been for the book “Our Gift Book For Boys”. A stamp on the back of the Cotman board suggests that this was an illustration submitted to the Byron Studios in Farringdon Avenue, EC4, London.

Sidney George Hedges was a British author of books and articles on swimming, games and hobbies for young people, and was especially active in the 1930’s. We have mounted the board into a clip frame measuring 30cm by 24cm (12 in by 9½ in) with an appropriate colour backing paper. The board itself has a charmingly irregular shape (measuring approx. 21.5 cm by 22.0 cm / 8½ in by 8¾ in) but it is in good condition and the colours remain good. The buyer may wish to pursue a more permanent framing solution, but we think it looks great just as it is. Perfect for the swimmer or swimming fan or just for its aesthetic appeal!