Sam Smith (Alan Verner Smith 1908–1983) was an artist, craftsman, and sculptor, especially known for his

toy-making A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...

for adults and children, carving small wooden curios such as boats and seaside dioramas. He signed some of his 1930s work "Alan V". Later, he signed items "Sam Smith. Genuine. England" as it became successful and sold in London (for instance in Primavera shop) and New York. He painted many pictures. During the Second World War, he worked as a draughtsman, for instance producing technical drawings for the development of the

Bailey Bridge A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War and saw extensive use by British, Canadian and American military engineering units. ...

Christchurch, Dorset Christchurch () is a town and civil parish in Dorset on the south coast of England. The town had a population of 31,372 in 2021. For the borough the population was 48,368. It adjoins Bournemouth to the west, with the New Forest to the east. Pa ...

.. After the war, he, his wife Gladys, and their son Jasper lived in the steep-hillside house named "The Golf House" overlooking

Kingswear Kingswear is a village and civil parish in the South Hams area of the English county of Devon. The village is located on the east bank of the tidal River Dart, close to the river's mouth and opposite the small town of Dartmouth. It lies within ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, and across the

River Dart The River Dart is a river in Devon, England, that rises high on Dartmoor and flows for to the sea at Dartmouth. Name Most hydronyms in England derive from the Brythonic language (from which the river's subsequent names ultimately derive fr ...

to Dartmouth. For making toys, Sam had many modern wood-cutting tools in his studio in their house.

References

External links

Sam Smith "Genuine England"
– a 1976 film by the Arts Council in which Smith explained his work
Biography, Sam Smith 1908-1983
– personal website category:1908 births category:1983 deaths category:Alumni of Arts University Bournemouth category:Alumni of the Westminster School of Art category:People educated at Victoria College, Jersey category:Toy designers {{toy-stub

See also

References

External links