About the author
Peter Archer (1933–2018) was an artist and illustrator active in the 1960s and 1970s who did much of his illustration work for Armada, the paperback arm of Collins. He and Mary Gernat between them illustrated much of Armada’s output in the 1960s and early 1970s. He studied at the Royal College of Art
As well as pony books, he provided covers for the Hardy Boys, the Armada Ghost Book series, Malcolm Saville, Enid Blyton, Dr Who, Stingray, Thunderbirds and William.
Archer did one cover for Armada’s first printing of Ruby Ferguson’s Jill series: Pony Jobs for Jill. It’s not the most successful of his pony covers. His covers for Monica Edwards were much closer to the spirit of the originals, perhaps because it was easier with many of these titles to avoid including horses and ponies altogether.
In later life he lived in Brixham, Devon and became well known for his military illustration. The picture shows Peter Archer with his 2015 painting, showing the Brixham fishing smack Provident rescuing 71 sailors from HMS Formidable after a uboat hit in January 1915.
Finding the books
1960s Armadas are getting trickier to track down these days, but are not impossible.
Links and sources
Peter Archer’s site
Bibliography (pony books only)
pony books illustrated by PETER ARCHER
Joseph Chipperfield: Ghost Horse
Armada, pb, 1963, cover Peter Archer
Monica Edwards: The Nightbird
Armada, pb, 1963, cover Peter Archer
Diana Pullein-Thompson: A Pony to School
Armada, pb, 1963, cover Peter Archer
Monica Edwards: No Entry
Armada, pb, 1964, cover Peter Archer
Monica Edwards: The Cownappers
Armada, pb, 1964, cover Peter Archer
Ruby Ferguson: Pony Jobs for Jill
Armada, pb, 1964, cover Peter Archer, internal illustrations Caney
Diana Pullein-Thompson: The Pennyfields
Armada C87, 1964, cover Peter Archer, illus Dylan Roberts
Armada C288, 1964, cover Peter Archer, illus Dylan Roberts
There were two covers produced for this book. Why, I do not know.
Joanna Cannan: Gaze at the Moon
Armada, pb, 1965
Joseph Chipperfield: Dark Fury, Stalllion of Lost River Valley
Armada, pb, 1965, cover Peter Archer
Monica Edwards: Cargo of Horses
Armada, pb, 1965, cover Peter Archer
This cover, although credited to Peter Archer, does look a lot more like Mary Gernat’s style.
Christine Pullein-Thompson: We Rode to the Sea
Armada, pb, 1965
Josephine Pullein-Thompson: The Trick Jumpers
Armada, pb, 1965
Diana Pullein-Thompson: I Wanted a Pony
Armada, pb, 1966, cover Peter Archer
Diana Pullein-Thompson: Three Ponies and Shannan
Armada, pb, 1968, cover Peter Archer
Diana Pullein-Thompson: A Pony for Sale
Armada, pb, 1970s [DATE anc check – not in BL as by him]
Mary O’Hara: The Catch Colt
McClelland and Steward, 1981, cover Peter Archer
These are the books where covers are credited. There are several other Armadas which aren’t credited that could well be Peter Archer’s work.
