Spen Valley Magazine Spen Valley Magazine (draft) | Page 19

Spen Valley Art
Edward Wadsworth has been boarding school in Edinburgh he out of the service in 1917.
described as “one of Britain’s persuaded his father to let him During the Second World War he
most talented and experimental go to Germany, officially to study applied to become an official war
painters and printers of his period”.  engineering drawing. However artist but was refused, perhaps due
Born in Cleckheaton on 19th he found the Munich art galleries to his connections with Germany.
October 1889 to Fred and Hannah more interesting and enrolled at Wadsworth, his grandfather was the Knirr Art School, where he Elymas Wadsworth, founder of studied drawing, painting and the prosperous worsted spinning printmaking.
business at Broomfield Mills
Moorbottom. The Wadsworth Returning to Cleckheaton, he family were notable benefactors attended Bradford College of Art Edward Wadsworth died 21st June
of the town. Elymas was one of in 1908, then the Slade School 1949, leaving a large body of
a group of businessmen who built London in 1909. He worked as drawings, prints and paintings.
the Town Hall and Edward’s Uncle an artist for 40 years, becoming He is noted for his paintings in the
Walter was a member of the group a leading influence in the British demanding egg tempura medium
that founded and built Whitcliffe Vorticist and Surrealist movements. and his work can be seen in
Mount School for the children of
working people, and in particular
the education of girls.
During the First World War he
served in the Royal Navy Volunteer
municipal collections throughout
the UK.
Reserve, where he transferred
Edward had little interest in the the innovative “dazzle camouflage”
family firm. On leaving Fettes to ships, but he was invalided
Roger Hargreaves , the creator of Mr Men
and Little Miss grew up at Hightown, near
the Packhorse Pub. In 1971, whilst working
in advertising, Roger doodled a character
with exceptionally long arms. When his son
Adam asked “What does a tickle look like?”
Mr Tickle was born, and soon 45 more quirky
Mr Men books were created. Roger’s books
were aimed at young children, with simple
humorous stories and brightly-coloured
drawings. Little Miss emerged in 1981,
with a total of 33 different characters.
Altogether 85 million books in 20 languages were sold worldwide. Roger’s childhood home is marked
with a plaque in the pavement on Halifax Road Hightown, part of Spen Valley Civic Society’s Fame Trail.