#women wood engravers

[uwmspeccoll]

Wood Engraving Wednesday

CLARE LEIGHTON

Here are a few engravings from a recent acquisition for our reference collection on the engravings of English/American artist, writer, and illustrator Clare Leighton (1898-1989), Clare Leighton's Rural Life: An Anthology, published in Oxford by the Bodleian Library in 2023. The book was edited with an introduction by Leighton's devoted nephew David Leighton (1931-2022), who sadly did not live to see its publication. Clare Leighton was one of the most prolific and highly regarded wood engravers of her time, leaving behind a body of work that reflected her rural life in Britain and North America.

During the 1930s, as the world around her became increasingly technological, industrial, and urban, Leighton portrayed rural folk and the ancient methods they used to work the land that would soon vanish forever. Her two best-loved publications, Four Hedges (1931) and The Farmer's Year (1933), reflect this passion for the British countryside. Less well known are her books illustrating and describing rural life in the United States, where she emigrated and became a naturalized citizen in 1945. Leighton also spent time in Canada with the logging community, winning the respect of Canadian lumberjacks by adopting their way of life. Her wood engravings depicting lumberjacks in the snow-covered forests of Canada are some of her most evocative prints.

This anthology includes beautifully reproduced extracts and David Leighton's detailed introduction to the artist's life and work, reflecting Clare Leighton's lifelong fascination with the virtues of the countryside and the people who worked the land.

View more posts with work by Clare Leighton.

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[jadeseadragon]

Gwenda Morgan (British, 1908 - 1991), Midwinter, 1962, wood engraving, signed, titled and numbered 15/50.

[random-brushstrokes]

Gwen Raverat - From a Window (1946)

[arthistoryanimalia]

#Caturday 🐱:

Cats at the Window, 1929 Wanda Gág (USA, 1893-1946) Wood engraving, 8 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (21.6 x 18.7 cm) Tacoma Art Museum 1970.154.10

[abwwia]

Grace Albee, Americana, 1964, wood engraving on paper, image: 6 1⁄8 x 4 3⁄4 in. (15.7 x 12.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Frank McClure, 1979.98.1

[psikonauti]

William Baxter Closson (American,1848-1926)

Girl Reading

wood engraving

[pinkblanc]

Jean Ulen, The Beginning, 1937

[monkeyssalad-blog]

New York Medical College for Women by National Library of Medicine Via Flickr: Collection: Images from the History of Medicine (IHM) Publication: April 16, 1870 Format: Still image Abstract: Woman student dissecting the leg of a cadaver. Extent: 1 print Technique: wood engraving NLM Unique ID: 101436227 NLM Image ID: A013010 Permanent Link: resource.nlm.nih.gov/101436227

[jadeseadragon]

Dame Eileen Rosemary Mayo DBE (British, 1906 – 1994)

Wood engraving, printed in black ink on thin ivory tissue.

Cat in Cherry Tree. 1947. Source.

[blueiscoool]

Exceptional Sixth-Century Sword Unearthed in Anglo-Saxon Cemetery in the UK

Archaeologists have uncovered a spectacular sixth-century sword from an Anglo-Saxon cemetery near Canterbury, Kent, in a discovery hailed as one of the most remarkable of its kind. The weapon, distinguished by its exceptional preservation and craftsmanship, is being compared to the famous Sutton Hoo sword found in Suffolk in 1939.

The newly unearthed sword features a silver-and-gilt hilt with intricate decorative patterns and a blade inscribed with runic script. Even the leather-and-wood scabbard, lined with beaver fur, has survived the passage of time. A ring attached to the pommel may symbolize an oath to a king or high-ranking figure, reflecting the weapon’s elite status.

Lead archaeologist Professor Duncan Sayer of the University of Central Lancashire expressed awe at the find. “It’s really incredible, in the top echelons of swords, an elite object in every way. It rivals the swords from Dover and Sutton Hoo,” he said. The Sutton Hoo sword, crafted with gold and cloisonné garnets, is considered a pinnacle of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship, but this recent discovery stands out for its remarkable condition.

Sutton Hoo Sword.

The cemetery, whose exact location remains undisclosed to protect the site, has so far revealed 12 graves, though researchers estimate it contains up to 200 burials. Male graves have yielded weapons such as spears and shields, while female burials include brooches, buckles, and knives. Notably, the grave containing the sword also held a gold pendant engraved with a serpent or dragon—a type of ornament typically associated with high-status women. Archaeologists suggest it may have been an heirloom or a gift from a female relative.

Other artifacts at the site hint at connections to regions beyond Britain. Scandinavian objects were found in a fifth-century woman’s grave, while items of Frankish origin appear in later burials. These findings illuminate the migration patterns and cultural exchanges following the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the early fifth century.

The excavation has also provided rare insights into Anglo-Saxon funerary customs. Conservator Dana Goodburn-Brown discovered fly pupae on the sword, suggesting the deceased’s body was left exposed for a time before burial, likely to allow loved ones to pay their respects. “So we’re learning something about the funerary practices,” she explained in the upcoming BBC Two series Digging for Britain.

The sword and other artifacts are undergoing conservation and will eventually be displayed at the Folkestone Museum. Prof Alice Roberts, presenter of Digging for Britain, described the site as “an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon cemetery with incredibly furnished graves… The sword is just astonishing.”

By Dario Radley.

[uwmspeccoll]

Wood Engraving Wednesday

GWENDA MORGAN

Once again we present a few wood engravings by one our our favorite British engravers, Gwenda Morgan (1908-1991). We love the quality of her line and her surreal, lego-like compositions. These engravings are reproduced in the Golden Cockerel Press 1936-1943 bibliography, Pertelote, A Sequel to Chanticleer, printed in London by Golden Cockerel co-owners Christopher Sandford and Owen Rutter. 

The first engraving was originally produced for the 1937 publication Goat Green or The Better Gift by T. F. Powys (1875-1953), with 6 engravings by Morgan in two issues: an unlimited edition and an edition of 150 signed copies. The next three are from the 1938 edition of Tapster's Tapestry by A. E. Coppard (1878-1957) with 10 engravings by Morgan in an unlimited edition and an edition of 75 signed copies. Our copy of Pertelote is another donation from our late friend Jerry Buff (1931-2025).

View more posts with engravings by Gwenda Morgan.

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[jadeseadragon]

Eileen Lucy "Tirzah" Garwood (British, 1908-1951), The Dog Show, 1929, wood engraving.

[jadeseadragon]

Gwenda Morgan (British, 1908-1991)

by Gwenda Morgan

[random-brushstrokes]

May Aimée Smith (British, 1886 – 1962) - Roof tops, Paris

[arthistoryanimalia]

#Caturday 😺:

Agnes Miller Parker (Scottish, 1895-1980) Siamese Cat and Butterfly (Greetings Card) Printed 1939 Color wood engraving on folded card 13 x 10.4 cm (image), folded card 18 x 14 cm (folded out size: 18 x 28 cm) National Galleries of Scotland GMA 3057 "Miller Parker produced numerous commercial prints featuring Siamese cats, including this one. Her cats were often accompanied by other creatures or plants including birds, butterflies and flowers, revealing the animal's natural sense of curiosity. Many of her prints were based on the countless studies she made of her own pets, though few of these drawings survive today."

[abwwia]

Doris Hatt, Walton Castle from Dial Hill, 1930

Signed, inscribed and dated in pencil (Print No. 11)

Wood engraving | 4.5 x 6 inches