John Farleigh, 1900-1965
Main details
| Reference number | 1996/4895 |
|---|---|
| Name | Frederick William Charles Farleigh |
| Artist | |
| Preferred name | John Farleigh |
| Born | 1900 |
| Collection | |
| Object type |
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| Completeness | 67% |
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People involved
Role Person(s) involved Artist John Farleigh, -
Biography
Attribute Value Biography In 1914 Frederick Farleigh became an articled apprentice to the Artists Illustrators Agency and attended evening classes in drawing. From 1919-1922 he studied at the LCC Central School of Arts and Crafts under Meninsky, James Grant and Noel Rooke (who taught him wood engraving).
Farleigh was an art instructor at Rugby School from 1922 to 1924, then returned, in 1925, to the Central School of Arts and Crafts, this time to teach. He was elected to the Society of Wood Engravers in 1925. As a wood engraver, he became well known as an illustrator of the work of George Bernard Shaw. Besides wood engraving, Farleigh was also a painter in oils and watercolours, and an etcher.
His early posters for the LCC tramways were all signed F W Farleigh but by 1933 when he designed his first poster for London Transport he was already using the name John Farleigh.
He is particularly known for his wood engravings but also designed murals, stamps, textiles and posters including one for the Post Office. He painted in water-colours and pastels and exhibited widely. He was an active member of the London Group and served on the hanging committee from 1936 to 1938. He published his autobiography, Graven Image, in 1940. In 1947 he became head of Book Production at The Central School of Arts and Crafts and in 1948 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers.
In the same year two of his posters for London Transport's Green Line coach services won awards from the international Poster exhibition in Vienna. He was chairman of the Crafts Centre of Great Britain from 1950-1964.Education Central School of Arts and Crafts, 1921-1922St Mary Abbots, Kensington ,Employment Designed posters for London County Council Tramways and London Transport, 1922-1963Role Artist,