Hundreds of pictures by the illustrator and cartoonist William Heath Robinson have been saved for the nation. The collection of 410 drawings and paintings, which includes many of his well-known First and Second World War cartoons, was put up for sale following the death of its previous owner. But now the William Heath Robinson Trust has been awarded a £250,000 grant by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and a further £50,000 by the Art Fund to secure the collection for British fans. Hundreds of pictures by the illustrator and cartoonist William Heath Robinson, including this picture of priests playing rugby, have been saved for the nation . Heath Robinson, whose name became a synonym for absurdly ingenious devices thanks to his wacky drawings, has been cited as an inspiration for numerous illustrators. Olympic cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick and Nick Park, whose creation Wallace dreams up Heath Robinson-style devices while his dog Gromit looks on, have all named him as an influence. Illustrator Heath Robinson, whose name became a synonym for absurdly ingenious devices thanks to his drawings of complicated and wacky inventions - often for simple tasks . The collection includes satirical cartoons from both World Wars, such as Deceiving The Invader As To The State Of The Tide, with a British beach scene arranged on tall stilts in the sea to trick the Germans into believing they are in the shallows, part of a series looking at ways to resist an invasion. There are also examples from his series The Saintly Hun, which subverted the usual depiction of the German character during the First World War. And there is an almost complete set of drawings made for How To Build A New World, a book published in 1941 reflecting the hopes and aspirations of Britain in the Second World War. The collection was put on sale after Simon Heneage died  in 2011 and had been at risk of being broken up. It will now be displayed at the new Heath Robinson Museum at West House, Pinner, north west London, when it opens in April 2016, also includes rare rough early sketches and advertising commissions. It joins more than 1,200 items and places safeguarded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which exists to save the nation's best heritage in memory of those who gave their lives for the UK, ranging from the Mary Rose ship to a collection of the work of Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing. The collection includes many of his most well-known First and Second World War cartoons such as this one where two enemy soldiers meet in the middle as they attempt to dig underneath the trenches . The collection includes satirical cartoons from the wars, such as Deceiving The Invader As To The State Of The Tide, with a British beach scene arranged on tall stilts in the sea to trick the Germans into believing they are in the shallows . Carole Souter, chief executive of the NHMF said: 'These fantastically wry cartoons represent British humour at its best. Known as the 'Gadget King' Heath Robinson is best remembered for his drawings of farcically complicated machines which achieved very simple objectives. Born in 1872, he began by illustrating books such as Hans Christian Andersen's Danish Fairy Tales and Legends (1897) and Tales from Shakespeare (1902). During the First World War, he drew ever-more-unlikely secret weapons being used by the enemy while producing a stream of humorous drawings for magazines and advertisements. Most of his cartoons have since been reprinted many times in multiple collections and the term 'Heath Robinson' came to be known as an improbable, rickety machine barely kept going by incessant tinkering. One of his most famous series of illustrations were in Norman Hunter's Professor Branestawm book which featured a brilliant if eccentric professor and his inventions. 'With the new museum opening in 2016 and the country marking the centenary of the First World War, there's a renewed interest in Heath Robinson's work and we felt that it was important to keep this collection together for the nation to rediscover and enjoy.' Geoffrey Beare, of the William Heath Robinson Trust, said: 'These works provide a perfect complement to the Trust's existing collection, which is particularly strong in illustration. 'It will permit us to mount a broader range of exhibitions in our new museum and maintain our programme of touring exhibitions. 'We are proud to become custodians of such an exciting collection of works by one of Britain's best loved artists.' Following Heath Robinson's death in 1944, his collection was split in two, with the larger part stored in the National Magazine Company warehouse until the 1970s when it was bought by family friend Mr Heneage, publisher and founder of the Cartoon Museum. Although many pieces were sold or donated by Mr Heneage, he kept the best of the collection for display in his private gallery and they will now be reunited with the other part of the artist's collection which is in the hands of the William Heath Robinson Trust.
Collection of 410 illustrations span the range of work of Heath Robinson .
Includes many of his  well-known First and Second World War cartoons .
Pictures were put up for sale following death of owner Simon Heneage .
William Heath Robinson Trust has been given £300,000 to buy the artworks .
Hundreds of pictures by the illustrator and cartoonist William Heath Robinson have been saved for the nation. The collection of 410 drawings and paintings, which includes many of his well-known First and Second World War cartoons, was put up for sale following the death of its previous owner. But now the William Heath Robinson Trust has been awarded a £250,000 grant by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and a further £50,000 by the Art Fund to secure the collection for British fans. Hundreds of pictures by the illustrator and cartoonist William Heath Robinson, including this picture of priests playing rugby, have been saved for the nation . Heath Robinson, whose name became a synonym for absurdly ingenious devices thanks to his wacky drawings, has been cited as an inspiration for numerous illustrators. Olympic cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick and Nick Park, whose creation Wallace dreams up Heath Robinson-style devices while his dog Gromit looks on, have all named him as an influence. Illustrator Heath Robinson, whose name became a synonym for absurdly ingenious devices thanks to his drawings of complicated and wacky inventions - often for simple tasks . The collection includes satirical cartoons from both World Wars, such as Deceiving The Invader As To The State Of The Tide, with a British beach scene arranged on tall stilts in the sea to trick the Germans into believing they are in the shallows, part of a series looking at ways to resist an invasion. There are also examples from his series The Saintly Hun, which subverted the usual depiction of the German character during the First World War. And there is an almost complete set of drawings made for How To Build A New World, a book published in 1941 reflecting the hopes and aspirations of Britain in the Second World War. The collection was put on sale after Simon Heneage died  in 2011 and had been at risk of being broken up. It will now be displayed at the new Heath Robinson Museum at West House, Pinner, north west London, when it opens in April 2016, also includes rare rough early sketches and advertising commissions. It joins more than 1,200 items and places safeguarded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which exists to save the nation's best heritage in memory of those who gave their lives for the UK, ranging from the Mary Rose ship to a collection of the work of Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing. The collection includes many of his most well-known First and Second World War cartoons such as this one where two enemy soldiers meet in the middle as they attempt to dig underneath the trenches . The collection includes satirical cartoons from the wars, such as Deceiving The Invader As To The State Of The Tide, with a British beach scene arranged on tall stilts in the sea to trick the Germans into believing they are in the shallows . Carole Souter, chief executive of the NHMF said: 'These fantastically wry cartoons represent British humour at its best. Known as the 'Gadget King' Heath Robinson is best remembered for his drawings of farcically complicated machines which achieved very simple objectives. Born in 1872, he began by illustrating books such as Hans Christian Andersen's Danish Fairy Tales and Legends (1897) and Tales from Shakespeare (1902). During the First World War, he drew ever-more-unlikely secret weapons being used by the enemy while producing a stream of humorous drawings for magazines and advertisements. Most of his cartoons have since been reprinted many times in multiple collections and the term 'Heath Robinson' came to be known as an improbable, rickety machine barely kept going by incessant tinkering. One of his most famous series of illustrations were in Norman Hunter's Professor Branestawm book which featured a brilliant if eccentric professor and his inventions. 'With the new museum opening in 2016 and the country marking the centenary of the First World War, there's a renewed interest in Heath Robinson's work and we felt that it was important to keep this collection together for the nation to rediscover and enjoy.' Geoffrey Beare, of the William Heath Robinson Trust, said: 'These works provide a perfect complement to the Trust's existing collection, which is particularly strong in illustration. 'It will permit us to mount a broader range of exhibitions in our new museum and maintain our programme of touring exhibitions. 'We are proud to become custodians of such an exciting collection of works by one of Britain's best loved artists.' Following Heath Robinson's death in 1944, his collection was split in two, with the larger part stored in the National Magazine Company warehouse until the 1970s when it was bought by family friend Mr Heneage, publisher and founder of the Cartoon Museum. Although many pieces were sold or donated by Mr Heneage, he kept the best of the collection for display in his private gallery and they will now be reunited with the other part of the artist's collection which is in the hands of the William Heath Robinson Trust.
well-known First and Second World War cartoons, was put up for sale following the death of its Robinson Trust has been awarded a £250,000 grant collection of the work of Second World War many of his most well-known First and Second William Heath Robinson Trust.