Designer Desire: Gilbert Rumbold

Montage of Gilbert Rumbold illustrations

A few weeks ago, we featured an auction lot that was a vintage book of cocktails illustrated by Gilbert Rumbold (a few images of it are included in the montage above). It was a 1st edition and examples have, in the past, sold for a whopping £600.00.

I was so taken by the very Art Deco book cover and illustrations that I delved into the internet to find more of his works. I haven’t found a lot, but what I happened across is smashing. He created beautiful fashion illustrations, decorative maps and – those 1930s obsessions – motor cars, ships and aeroplanes.

It is, however, the Savoy Cocktail book for which he is most well known. In fact, there’s still a cocktail named after him, served at the London Hotel’s American bar; consisting of Grey Goose vodka and champagne flavoured with cucumber, lime and peppermint.

Apparently, Gilbert Rumbold – who was from Broadstairs in Kent, tragically lost an arm in a train accident. He was fond of a tipple and often sketched the interiors of pubs such as the Captain Digby in Broadstairs.

Image credits:
Prints Online

One thought on “Designer Desire: Gilbert Rumbold

  1. Enjoyed your article on Rumbold. I own the prints of the two women in large dresses that you have in your montage. I collected them in the early 70s from an art gallery in Baltimore, Maryland.

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