Prater was born in
Islington in
London, of Cornish descent; his father was Joseph Prater of Crantock, Cornwall. He attended Dr. Devonshire's school in London, and began his working life as a publisher's clerk and took up drawing. His listing in ''Who's Who in Art'' for 1929 stated that his recreations included all rigorous sports. He served for a period with the 3rd
Middlesex Artillery. He became a Boer War correspondent for
The Sphere, attached to General Buller's column, 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 (née Norris) and their children Gladys Alma (11), Marie Lilian Marguerite (9), Minnie Winifred (6), Ruby Albina (3) and Raleigh Brandon (1). He died in London on Sunday 11 June 1950, aged 86. A photograph of him appeared in
The Sphere on 27 January 1900, and in ''The Year's Art'' in 1901. ==References==