SQUIRRELL, Martin

1926 - 1950

Martin Squirrell was born at Ipswich in 1926, son of Leonard Squirrell and his wife Hilda Victoria née Bird. Martin was educated at Ipswich School (1938-1944) before being conscripted into the army, joining the Suffolk Regiment at Bury St Edmund's and, after Sandhurst and later promotion to captain, was sent to Singapore as a personnel selection officer. After army service he joined Cowell's the Ipswich printers and then Ipswich architects Johns, Slater & Haward. A member and exhibitor at the Ipswich Art Club from 1943 until his death and exhibited at the Royal Academy, when just seventeen years old. At the Ipswich Art Club he exhibited from 'Greenwood', 46 Crabbe Street in 1943, 'Americans over Bremen', 'Stalingrad, the Sixth Army moves Up' and 'Night Intruder' and in 1945, 'V2 Assembly Plant', in 1946 'Marston, Norfolk' with some of his R.A. exhibits, and he had three pictures on show in 1947, three in 1949 and one in 1950 'Winter in Trumpington Street' and at the centenary exhibition of the Ipswich Club his pen & wash 'Russian Tanks crossing a River' and 'Launching-Tube, Moon Rocket of the Future' were on show. In 1948, Martin was commissioned to make illustrations for the 'East Anglian Magazine', a monthly journal published in Ipswich, a company which he joined as art editor. However, his reign was cut short by cancer, and he died at Ipswich Nursing Home on 15 December 1950. His best works are in monochrome, pencil, pen and ink, and wash, sometimes with Chinese white highlights. The Ipswich School archives hold many of his original works both from his schooldays, which were from his examinations for Higher School Art Certificate and some from the East Anglian Magazine. His sister Annette Squirrell, Mrs Annette Kenny, also has a collection.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 46 Crabbe Street, Ipswich
1944 947 Stukas over Stalingrad
         974 Action over Berlin
         975 Port Scene
1947 912 Launching the Tube, Moon Rocket of the Future

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Works by This Artist