Frederick Rowland Emett OBE was a cartoonist, illustrator and inventor, who earned international fame and a decent living from creating elegantly outlandish machines which served no useful purpose other than make people laugh. He was first and foremost a brilliant comic artist. He was a master of British eccentricity and Emett’s central creation was the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek railway set in the Battersea Gardens in London for the 1951 Festival of Britain. It is believed this whimsical train carried more than two million passengers during its operational life.
His work always involved this unique style whether in cartoons in the Punch magazine of the day or with many commissioned advertising projects. He was responsible for creating the eight elaborate inventions featured in the 1968 film ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ and the ‘Nottingham Water Clock’ in the Victoria Shopping Mall. See his 1966 Computer below:
Mervyn Rogers explains the artistic link to his bright yellow 1929 Austin Seven RK registered YC 6669:
On the rear panel there is a cartoon painted by Rowland Emett. Way back in 1957, a young 17-year-old John Sellick became the owner of this car, so he could learn to drive. I believe it was purchased for £17 and 10 shillings, which was a lot of money then. The bodywork at the time was the normal boring factory dual grey scheme, so John decided to brighten it up and hand painted it in a bright yellow. His uncle was the artist Frederick Rowland Emett, who was known to him as Uncle Frederick. Emett decided to paint one of his whimsical cartoons on the rear panel and named it ‘Meppacrin’. The cartoon as seen in the pictures depicts a fun interpretation of an early chain driven car. This painting appears to be the only example on a vehicle by Emett; seen below with his work:
And here is Meppacrin in colour:
Pictured above are John Sellick and Uncle Frederick, and John Sellick re-united with the RK.
Running from May through to September 2014, the biggest ever exhibition of Emett’s work was put on in Birmingham, organised by The Rowland Emett Society in partnership with the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Millennium Point. The yellow Austin Seven was invited to take part on the day they unveiled a blue plaque for Rowland Emett at the museum. This involved Emett’s daughter Claire with the Mayor of Birmingham to unveil the plaque and John Sellick who was reunited with this Austin Seven after 57 years when he first owned it. Over the years it has been restored, but has retained the Emett cartoon, untouched bar the weather.
Mervyn Rogers purchased this Austin Seven for his wife Carla in September 2009 and are keen to preserve this interesting and fun little car now referred to as ‘Emett’.
To find out more about Emett’s works see The Rowland Emett Society site here where you can also become a member. There are membership rules stated:
Rule 1: You must have an appreciation of the works of Frederick Rowland Emett
Rule 2: There will be no further Rules.
Rule 3: see Rule 2.
This car was also featured in an article in the November 2009 issue of ‘The Automobile’.
The early Austin 7 Saloons 