A colourful career draws lots of interest

THE WORK of a renowned cartoonist who drew for the likes of and

has sold for thousands of pounds at auction.

Pieces from Smilby’s collection were expected to fetch between £100 and £1,000 each at auctioneers Catherine Southon on Wednesday.

There were 60 cartoons which sold for £8,080 alone, a spokeswoman for the auctioneers at Farleigh Court Golf Club in Selsdon, Surrey, said.

The top lot was an illustration of an equal rights rally entitled “Women’s Lib, Women Unite”, which sold under the hammer for £320. A telephone bidder bought an Alberto Vargas pin-up girl watercolour for £2,200.

The work had been dedicated to ‘Smithy’ – in reference to Smilby – by the famed Peruvian painter, who was his friend and colleague in the industry.

Bidders from France and Denmark tuned in to take part in the sale of items created and owned by Francis Wilford-Smith – the man behind the Smilby pen name.

Wilford-Smith grew up in Rugby, Warwickshire, and attended the Camberwell School of Art in London before being awarded a scholarship in 1951.

He started working with the late Hugh Hefner’s magazine in 1960, going on to produce more than 350 full-page colour cartoons.

His work was the subject of exhibitions across Europe and the US.

A second auction takes place on December 6.