Ernest Prater

Ernest Prater (1864–1950) was a noted English artist and book illustrator, notable also for his work as a war correspondent and reportage artist during the Anglo-Boer War.

Life and works
Prater was born in Islington in London, of Cornish descent. He began his working life as a publisher's clerk and took up drawing.

He served for a period with the 3rd Middlesex Artillery. He became a Boer War correspondent for The Sphere, sending back illustrations from the battlefield. He also worked for the Black & White Budget and The Graphic newspapers. As well as being an illustrator, he was an adept photographer. He contributed illustrations to the Strand Magazine, Pall Mall Gazette and Boy's Own Paper and for books published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, the Religious Tract Society, Carey Press, Sheldon Press and others.

Prater specialised in illustrating boys' adventure stories. Among the well-known authors whose works he illustrated were G.A. Henty, R.M. Ballantyne, W.H.G. Kingston, Percy F. Westerman, Frank T. Bullen, Tom Bevan, Herbert Hayens and Bessie Marchant.

He was noted for his painting The Last Pass: A Thrilling Moment in a Rugby Match'.

He also collaborated with Sidney Paget, the illustrator for the Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. One such drawing was the funeral for Queen Victoria (location unknown).

In 1911 he was living at Newquay, The Leas, Westcliff in the parish of Prittlewell. His occupation is Artist Illustrator B and W. Living in the household are his wife Florence Alice Prater and their children Gladys Alma (11), Marie Lilian Marguerite (9), Minnie Winifred (6), Ruby Albina (3) and Raleigh Brandon (1).

Selected illustrated books

 * Henty, G. A. The lost heir (Toronto: Copp, Clark, 1899).
 * Lampen, Charles Dudley. Mirango the man-eater: a tale of Central Africa (London, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1899).
 * Miller, J. Martin. Official history of the Russian-Japanese war (1904).
 * Mathews, Basil Joseph. John Williams, the shipbuilder (London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press, 1915).
 * Padwick, C. E. Mackay of the Great Lake (London: H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1917).