Harry Smith [Hush]

Harry Smith was born in Glasgow, son of the lead violinist at the Carl Rosa Opera company.  He went to the Glasgow School of Art in the 1930’s, and worked as an artist in an advertising agency before the war.

During the war he was in the Navy, and came home from Africa very sick at the end of the war.  He and his wife lived in Clarkston, Glasgow, where he did a daily cartoon for the Kemsley group of newspapers.

Fleet Street called in the early 1950’s and he moved the family to London, eventually settling in Surrey.  A new strip cartoon was needed for the Evening Standard and he submitted two or three ideas, and Billy the Bee was accepted.  During this time he also had cartoons published in Punch, but never under his name, as the powers that be at the Standard did not like their employees to freelance!  His pseudonym was either “Hush” or H and S over one another to look like a dollar sign. He also drew the Sooty and Sweep strip cartoon for two or three years.  Billy the Bee ran for 16 years, and in its day was the longest running cartoon with the exception of Rupert Bear.

The very ill young man that came back from the war could not draw without a cigarette in his hand, as well as a pencil.  This, doubtless contributed to his heart condition, and he died at 59.  He was a gentle, thoughtful person with a terrific sense of humour.