HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Alan Reynolds Stone,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, RDI (13 March 1909 – 23 June 1979) was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
wood engraver Wood engraving is a printmaking technique, in which an artist works an image or ''matrix'' of images into a block of wood. Functionally a variety of woodcut, it uses relief printing, where the artist applies ink to the face of the block and ...
, engraver, designer,
typographer Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing (leading), and ...
and painter.


Biography

Stone was born on 13 March 1909 at
Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College ...
, where both his grandfather, E. D. Stone, and father, E. W. Stone, were assistant masters.Kenneth Clark, ''Reynolds Stone: engravings'' (London, John Murray, 1977), . He was educated there and at
Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...
, where he obtained a degree in history in 1930. He had no clear idea of his future, and, at the suggestion of Francis Scott, a young don at Magdalene, almost drifted into a two-year apprenticeship at the Cambridge University Press, where he came under the influence of Walter Lewis and, more importantly, F. G. Nobbs, the overseer of the composing department. Nobbs, to quote Stone, 'whisked me out of the hand-composing room into his office' where he taught him to appreciate letter design. A chance encounter with
Eric Gill Arthur Eric Rowton Gill, (22 February 1882 – 17 November 1940) was an English sculptor, letter cutter, typeface designer, and printmaker. Although the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' describes Gill as ″the greatest artist-cra ...
on the London to Cambridge train led to Stone spending a fortnight with Gill at Piggotts in
Speen, Buckinghamshire Speen is a village in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, situated in the civil parish of Lacey Green, in Buckinghamshire, England. The centre of the village (depicted by the village sign) is south-east of Princes Risb ...
engraving an alphabet on wood.J. W. Goodison, ''Reynolds Stone: his early development as an engraver on wood'' (Cambridge University Press, 1947). In 1932 he moved to
Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
, where he spent two years working at the printing firm of Barnicott & Pearce, a very different experience from his time in Cambridge. His experience of printing convinced him that this was not what he wanted to do for rest of his life. At Taunton he came across some old wood blocks which Barnicott gave him, and, in a bookshop at
Combwich Combwich ( ) is a village in the parish of Otterhampton within the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, between Bridgwater and the Steart Peninsula. The village lies on Combwich Reach as the River Parrett flows to the sea and was the site of an a ...
, he started to buy the wood engraved books of the 1850s and 1860s. He had already come across the wood engravings of
Thomas Bewick Thomas Bewick (c. 11 August 17538 November 1828) was an English wood-engraver and natural history author. Early in his career he took on all kinds of work such as engraving cutlery, making the wood blocks for advertisements, and illustrating ch ...
at Cambridge, and, in 1934, 'sacked himself' and became a freelance wood engraver, moving to
Codicote Codicote is a large village, and civil parish about south of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, England. It has timber-framed and chequered brick houses, of special interest being the 18th-century Pond House and the half-timbered Taverners Place (for ...
near
Hitchin Hitchin () is a market town and unparished area in the North Hertfordshire district in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 35,842. History Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people, a tribe holding 300 ...
. He married the photographer Janet Woods in 1938. They had four children – the painter Edward Stone (1940), the designer Humphrey Stone (1942), the illustrator Phillida Gili, and Emma Beck, wife of artist
Ian Beck Ian Archibald Beck (born 17th of August 1947 in Hove) is an English children's illustrator and author. In addition to his numerous children's books, he is also known for his cover illustration on Elton John's '' Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' alb ...
. His wife had a 30 year long relationship with
Kenneth Clark Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. After running two important art galleries in the 1930s and 1940s, he came to wider public notice on television ...
. The family were friends of the poet
Cecil Day-Lewis Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis; 27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972), often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Irish-born British poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Bla ...
and his family. In 2017 his son, the actor
Daniel Day-Lewis Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English retired actor. Often described as one of the preeminent actors of his generation, he received numerous accolades throughout his career which spanned over four decades, incl ...
named the character of his final film 'Reynolds Woodcock', as a reference to him, and his typeface designs were used for the titles of the film. He was elected a member of the
Society of Wood Engravers The Society of Wood Engravers (SWE) is a UK-based artists’ exhibiting society, formed in 1920, one of its founder-members being Eric Gill. It was originally restricted to artist-engravers printing with oil-based inks in a press, distinct from ...
in 1948. In 1953 he was appointed a CBE and moved to the Old Rectory in
Litton Cheney Litton Cheney is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in south-west England. It lies west of the county town Dorchester. It is sited beneath chalk hills in the valley of the small River Bride. In the 2011 census the parish had a ...
near Dorchester, where he lived until his death.


Commercial work

Stone's output was considerable. Nearly all of his contemporaries would have seen his work, although few knew his name. A common sight in most high streets was the logo that he designed for Dolcis and which featured on the frontage of all their shoe shops. In 1949 he redesigned the famous clock logo of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fo ...
''. He engraved the Royal Arms for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and the official coat of arms for
Her Majesty's Stationery Office The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) is the body responsible for the operation of His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) and of other public information services of the United Kingdom. The OPSI is part of the National Archives of the Un ...
in 1955, still reproduced today on the cover of the UK passport. He also designed the coat of arms for the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
. He designed a number of
Royal Mail , kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga , logo = Royal Mail.svg , logo_size = 250px , type = Public limited company , traded_as = , foundation = , founder = Henry VIII , location = London, England, UK , key_people = * Keith Williams ...
postage stamps, starting with the 1946 Victory stamp. He designed the £5 and £10 bank notes respectively in 1963 and 1964 – including the Queen's portrait – for the
Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government o ...
. Stone is perhaps best known for his lettering.
Stanley Morison Stanley Arthur Morison (6 May 1889 – 11 October 1967) was a British typographer, printing executive and historian of printing. Largely self-educated, he promoted higher standards in printing and an awareness of the best printing and typefaces o ...
, the typographer, valued him above all for this ability and said to him: ''anyone can draw trees''. Stone's lettering was hugely admired and he worked in many media. In 1939 Stone started to teach himself to cut letters in stone. His expertise in lettering led to a number of prestigious commissions for memorials. In 1952 he carved the memorial tablet to employees of the museum who died in World War II in the Grand Entrance of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This memorial complements the Eric Gill memorial to employees who died in World War I. In 1965 he carved the memorial to
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
and the 40th anniversary of the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended ...
in
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
. In 1966 he carved the memorial for
T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biogr ...
in the abbey. One of his latest works, in 1977, was the gravestone of composer
Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
. In 1954 he designed the ''Minerva'' typeface for Linotype, intended to complement Gill's ''Pilgrim'' in display sizes. He also designed a proprietary face named after his wife, Janet. In 1956 Stone was elected as a
Royal Designer for Industry Royal Designer for Industry is a distinction established by the British Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in 1936, to encourage a high standard of industrial design and enhance the status of designers. It is awarded to people who have achieved "sustained ...
for his work in Lettering.


Wood engravings and book illustrations

Stone was a self-taught wood engraver, which makes his achievements more remarkable. He had little difficulty moving from the graver and tools of the wood engraver to the chisel and mallet of the stone carver. Most of the commissions discussed above were wood engravings, as was most of his work. His bookplates are distinguished particularly by the flowing elegance of the lettering. He produced over 350, for example for
Hugh Trevor-Roper Hugh Redwald Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton (15 January 1914 – 26 January 2003) was an English historian. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford. Trevor-Roper was a polemicist and essayist on a range of ...
, depicting his home Chiefswood, and for John Sparrow, a nice example of his skill with letters. He had a very good eye for coats of arms, as shown by commissions from the Royal Family and the British Government as well as private individuals. His work stood out from that of other wood engravers, who illustrated more books than Stone. Many of his commissions were for single engravings, even for books. It was a mark of distinction to have a Stone engraving on the title-page or colophon. He did, however, illustrate a number of books treasured by collectors. In 1935 he produced 42 headpieces for ''The Shakespeare Anthology'' for the
Nonesuch Press Nonesuch Press was a private press founded in 1922 in London by Francis Meynell, his second wife Vera Mendel, and their mutual friend David Garnett,Miranda Knorr"The Nonesuch Press: A Product of Determination" An Exhibit of Rare Books at the Oka ...
and, in the same year, 12 wood engravings for ''A Butler's Recipe Book 1719'' for the Cambridge University Press. For the Gregynog Press he illustrated ''The History of Saint Louis'' (1937) and ''The Praise and Happinesse of the Countrie-Life'' (1938), the latter being particularly successful. In the same year he illustrated ''Old English Wines and Cordials'' for the High House Press. He illustrated ''Lucretia Borgia'' for the
Golden Cockerel Press The Golden Cockerel Press was an English fine press operating between 1920 and 1961. History The private press made handmade limited editions of classic works. The type was hand-set and the books were printed on handmade paper, and sometimes ...
in 1942. One of his most successful editions for a commercial publisher was an anthology compiled by
Adrian Bell Adrian Hanbury Bell (4 October 1901 – 5 September 1980) was an English ruralist journalist and farmer, and the first compiler of ''The Times'' crossword. Early life Bell was born at Stretford, Lancashire, son of Robert Bell (1865-1949), e ...
, ''The Open Air'' (1949).
Sylvia Townsend Warner Sylvia Nora Townsend Warner (6 December 1893 – 1 May 1978) was an English novelist, poet and musicologist, known for works such as '' Lolly Willowes'', '' The Corner That Held Them'', and '' Kingdoms of Elfin''. Life Sylvia Townsend Warner ...
wrote poems to complement a series of wood engravings that Stone had already completed. The result was ''Boxwood'' (1957), a limited edition of 500 copies, an extended new edition of which was published in 1960. Stone continued with ''A Sociable Plover'' by
Eric Linklater Eric Robert Russell Linklater CBE (8 March 1899 – 7 November 1974) was a Welsh-born Scottish poet, fiction writer, military historian, and travel writer. For '' The Wind on the Moon'', a children's fantasy novel, he won the 1944 Carnegie Meda ...
(1957) and ''The Skylark and other poems'' by
Ralph Hodgson Ralph Hodgson (9 September 1871 – 3 November 1962), Order of the Rising Sun (Japanese 旭日章), was an English poet, very popular in his lifetime on the strength of a small number of anthology pieces, such as ''The Bull''. He was one of th ...
(1958). For the Limited Editions Club he illustrated Herman Melville's ''Omoo'' in 1961. He also illustrated ''Saint Thomas Aquinas'' (1969) and ''The Poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson'' (1974) for the club. In 1968 the Chilmark Press published an edition of ''The Mountains'', a volume of poetry and prose by
R. S. Thomas Ronald Stuart Thomas (29 March 1913 – 25 September 2000), published as R. S. Thomas, was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest ( Church of Wales) noted for nationalism, spirituality and dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. John Betjeman, introd ...
to complement a series of wood engravings made by Stone after John Piper in 1946. Stone illustrated a number of books and portfolios for Warren Editions. The first was ''The Other Side of the Alde'' (1968), the first use of his ''Janet'' typeface. This was followed by ''ABC, an Alphabet'' (1974), ''The Old Rectory'' (1976) and a posthumous new edition of ''Boxwood'' (1983). For the Compton Press he illustrated ''A Shepherd's Life'' by
W. H. Hudson William Henry Hudson (4 August 1841 – 18 August 1922) – known in Argentina as Guillermo Enrique Hudson – was an Anglo-Argentine author, naturalist and ornithologist. Life Hudson was the son of Daniel Hudson and his wife Catherine (), ...
(1977) and ''A Year of Birds'' by
Iris Murdoch Dame Jean Iris Murdoch ( ; 15 July 1919 – 8 February 1999) was an Irish and British novelist and philosopher. Murdoch is best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious. Her ...
(1978). His last engraving was the only one he managed to complete of a series to illustrate a republication of
Sacheverell Sitwell Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell, 6th Baronet, (; 15 November 1897 – 1 October 1988) was an English writer, best known as an art critic, music critic (his books on Mozart, Liszt, and Domenico Scarlatti are still consulted), and writer on a ...
's book Valse Des Fleurs, published in a limited edition of 400 copies in 1980. It appears on the title page of the book, and a tailpiece woodcut is published at the end.


An overview of his life and work

There was a retrospective exhibition of his work at the
Dorset County Museum The Dorset County Museum is located in Dorchester, Dorset, England. Founded in 1846, the museum covers the county of Dorset's history and environment. The current building was built in 1881 on the former site of the George Inn. The building w ...
in 1981, followed by a major exhibition of his work in the library of the Victoria and Albert Museum between July and October 1982.Roy Strong (ed.), ''Reynolds Stone 1909-1979'' (London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982). Another, to honour the centenary of his birth, was held at The Red House,
Aldeburgh Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town in the county of Suffolk, England. Located to the north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the composer Benjamin Britten and remains the centre of the international Al ...
, in April 2009. His skills were widely recognised and much in demand. Much of his work was for official bodies, so much so that Hans Schmoller wrote of him in his obituary: ... ''he might almost be described as the 'Engraver Royal. His wood engravings showed a clarity of vision and an intensity that his preparatory sketches lacked. His wood engraved illustrations are distinguished by a formality and sureness of cutting, and his bookplates and coats of arms by a clarity and simplicity within the flourishes. Stone said of his work: ''One bold flourish is usually better than a larger number of small twiddles, which are not worth doing anyway. But the final danger is to do too much because the eye, delighted by a small mouthful, is soon surfeited.''


Collections

There have been two collections of Stone's wood engravings, the first by Myfanwy Piper, the second, more definitive, with an introduction by Kenneth Clark. Michael Harvey has written about his wood engraved lettering. The catalogue of the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition reprints the Goodison text and two pieces by Stone, and gives a comprehensive list of the whole range of Stone's work. David Chambers has produced a checklist of his bookplates, and Jeremy Malin has produced a very full checklist of his published works. There is an official website dedicated to Stone. See also: * Alan Powers, 'Reynolds Stone - A centenary tribute' and Humphrey Stone, 'Reynolds Stone: lettering', both in ''Parenthesis''; 16 (2009 February), p. 6–8 and 9–10.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Reynolds 1909 births 1979 deaths English engravers British illustrators English wood engravers People educated at Eton College English typographers and type designers 20th-century engravers