Phil May

Born in Wortley near Leeds in April 1864, Phil May grew up in difficult circumstances and began earning money while still very young. After early art-related work in Leeds, he headed to London, then spent several important years in Australia drawing for the Sydney Bulletin, where his style became bolder and more distinctive.

Back in Britain, he became one of the best-known illustrators and cartoonists of the 1890s. His work for periodicals including Punch and his popular annuals made him famous for a spare, energetic line that broke away from heavier Victorian illustration and pointed toward a more modern cartoon style.

May was especially admired for his keen eye for ordinary people — street children, performers, workers, and passersby — whom he drew with wit but also sympathy. He died in London in August 1903, still only 39, but his influence on caricature and comic drawing lasted well beyond his short life.