ENGLISH WOOD ENGRAVING SOCIETY

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In 1925 a group of artists comprising Leon George Claude Underwood (1890-1975), Blair Rowlands Hughes-Stanton, Eileen Forrester Agar (1899-1991), Gertrude Anna Bertha Hermes (1901-1983) and Ralph Nicholas Chubb (1892-1960), broke away from the Society of Wood Engravers and formed the English Wood Engraving Society. Its aim was to attract artists who were not solely interested in book illustration, but rather wanted to make wood engravings that were independent of such an illustrative function. Exhibitions were held annually at St George’s Gallery, at 32a George Street, Hanover Square, London. The Society, led by Underwood had by then set up its own magazine, 'The Island' which only ran for four issues in 3 volumes. In November 1931, the Society held its final exhibition at Colnaghi, London and some of its members subsequently re-joined the Society of Wood Engravers. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the 'English Wood Engravers Society'. Another Suffolk artist member of the English Wood Engraving Society was Mary Elizabeth Groom.