John Farleigh (1900-1965)

John Farleigh (1900 – 1965) also known as Frederick William Charles Farleigh, was most noted as a wood-engraver, but he was also a painter, lithographer and art teacher.

He started early leaving school at the age of 14 and enlisting as an apprentice at the Artists’ Illustrators Agency in London, whilst also taking drawing classes. He went on to illustrate books by D.H. Lawrence and George Bernard Shaw, as well as designing posters for London Transport.

Whilst teaching he tutored some extremely talented wood-engravers, including Monica Poole. In the 1980’s, Poole published a book of Farleigh’s wood engravings. Farleigh was made an Associate of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers in 1937 and a full member in 1948. His work is in the collections of a number of galleries in the U.K.