Thomas Edwin La Dell (7 January 1914 – 27 June 1970) was a British printmaker, lithographer, illustrator and painter active during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Life & career

Edwin La Dell was the son of Thomas La Dell, a Sheffield-born bookbinder, and Ellen (née Boardman). He was christened Thomas (after his father and grandfather) Edwin (following a family tradition on his mother's side), but appears always to have been known as Edwin. After attending Sheffield School of Art, in 1935 he won a scholarship to study at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...

under John Nash; he later became head of the Department of Lithography at the college from 1948 until his death in 1970. He was elected to the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

on 24 April 1969. La Dell was appointed as an official war artist during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, working on both public murals and camouflage, but his best known works are those from the post-war era, in particular the lithographs he created for the coronation of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

, for the School Prints scheme, for Lyons Tea Rooms and his own series of Oxford, Cambridge, Kent and New York. His work was exhibited throughout the world during this period under the auspices of the British Council. One of the artists La Dell worked with during the war was Charles Mozley, whose wife's sister, Joan Kohn, married La Dell in 1940. La Dell's work is currently held in many collections, including those of the Royal Academy and the Government Art Collection. La Dell died on 27 June 1970, aged 56.England & Wales, Death Index, 1916–2007. Registration district Maidstone, Kent, Volume 5f, page 1449

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:LaDell, Edwin 1914 births 1970 deaths English printmakers English lithographers English illustrators Alumni of the Royal College of Art British war artists World War II artists 20th-century British printmakers Associates of the Royal Academy 20th-century lithographers