Great Bardfield Forever
$32.50
Unit price
per
Author: Emma Cunningham
'Great Bardfield Forever' is a celebration of the remarkable women artists that lived and worked in the small Essex village of Great Bardfield from the 1930s, including the likes of Tirzah Garwood, Charlotte Bawden, Sheila Robinson, Marianne Straub. One of the most significant artist communities in mid twentieth-century Britain, its story is often told through its famous men – Edward Bawden, John Aldridge, Michael Rothenstein – who certainly did much to shape the visual culture of England.Yet alongside these were women of equal talent and determination. Potters, painters, engravers, textile designers, illustrators and theatre costumiers – they came to Bardfield as wives, partners and friends, and created something extraordinary. During the famous Open House exhibitions of the 1950s, thousands of visitors flocked to this quiet village to see art displayed in the artists' own homes, and the women's work given due prominence.Their stories share common threads: talent recognised early, careers interrupted by marriage and motherhood, creativity channelled into supporting others. Some, like Marianne Straub, achieved international recognition. Others, like Charlotte Bawden, set aside their own ambitions to become the generous hosts and quiet organisers who made the community possible. All of them created work that deserves to be remembered.Emma Cunningham is a new 2026 graduate of the B.A. (Hons) Illustration degree course at Hereford College of Arts (HCA) and was also the recipient of the Elmley Foundation Prize for Outstanding Achievement and the Friends of Herefordshire Museums Printmaker Award. Her visual language and subjects represent a keen interest in social history, popular culture and folk art, particularly of the mid-20th century. This is her new book, alongside Enid Marx, Brick Dust and Flowers
ISBN 9781912066827. Design for Today. pb. 24 pages. Stapled. 20 x 18 cm.
not yet published
'Great Bardfield Forever' is a celebration of the remarkable women artists that lived and worked in the small Essex village of Great Bardfield from the 1930s, including the likes of Tirzah Garwood, Charlotte Bawden, Sheila Robinson, Marianne Straub. One of the most significant artist communities in mid twentieth-century Britain, its story is often told through its famous men – Edward Bawden, John Aldridge, Michael Rothenstein – who certainly did much to shape the visual culture of England.Yet alongside these were women of equal talent and determination. Potters, painters, engravers, textile designers, illustrators and theatre costumiers – they came to Bardfield as wives, partners and friends, and created something extraordinary. During the famous Open House exhibitions of the 1950s, thousands of visitors flocked to this quiet village to see art displayed in the artists' own homes, and the women's work given due prominence.Their stories share common threads: talent recognised early, careers interrupted by marriage and motherhood, creativity channelled into supporting others. Some, like Marianne Straub, achieved international recognition. Others, like Charlotte Bawden, set aside their own ambitions to become the generous hosts and quiet organisers who made the community possible. All of them created work that deserves to be remembered.Emma Cunningham is a new 2026 graduate of the B.A. (Hons) Illustration degree course at Hereford College of Arts (HCA) and was also the recipient of the Elmley Foundation Prize for Outstanding Achievement and the Friends of Herefordshire Museums Printmaker Award. Her visual language and subjects represent a keen interest in social history, popular culture and folk art, particularly of the mid-20th century. This is her new book, alongside Enid Marx, Brick Dust and Flowers
ISBN 9781912066827. Design for Today. pb. 24 pages. Stapled. 20 x 18 cm.
not yet published