Artist/Maker: Charles Altamont Doyle - Aberystwyth University School of Art Museums and Galleries

Designer, painter and illustrator. Son of political cartoonist John Doyle, known as ‘HB’, and brother of Richard ‘Dicky’ Doyle, prominent illustrator for Punch magazine. Moved to Edinburgh in 1846 to work as an architectural draughtsman for the Scottish government, a position he held for 30 years. During this time he also made illustrations for books and magazines. Married in 1855 and had 7 children, the eldest being Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), who became the well-known author of Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately Charles Doyle suffered from low self-esteem, and after taking to alcoholism and depression, was admitted to a mental institution around 1881. Here he continued to make art, mostly of fairies and macabre fantasy scenes, for which he is best known, but also illustrations of visual puns with clever wordplay. Despite feeling strongly this was wrongful confinement he spent the rest of his life in asylums and died of an epileptic fit. His son Arthur Conan Doyle held a well-received exhibition of his works in 1924