Elwin Hawthorn(e)

1905 to 1954

Elwin Henry Hawthorne 18/12/1905 to 15/10/1954

Elwin was born in Poplar, the eldest of six brothers and one sister. The family lived in a three bedroom house in Rounton Road in Bow along with Elwin’s uncle and fellow Group member, Henry Silk who rented a room there from his sister. In these somewhat cramped conditions the six brothers shared two bedrooms, Henry had a room to himself and Elwin’s parents and sister slept downstairs in the parlour! The family name was in fact “Hawthorn” but in the Whitechapel catalogue in 1928 an extra “e” was added at the end and Elwin was advised not to change it thereafter!

Elwin left school at 14 with no qualifications but his headmaster gave him a glowing testimonial to the effect that Elwin had attended for seven years, been “regular, punctual and extremely well behaved with very good abilities”. With little prospect of work Elwin became an errand boy and casual labourer on occasions, interspersed with periods of unemployment. His interest in art led him to the art classes at the Bethnal Green Men’s Institute and later the Bow and Bromley Institute under the tutelage of John Cooper. Cooper was well acquainted with Walter Sickert who gave lectures to the Group and who would appraise their work.

In 1928 Elwin started work as Sickert’s studio assistant: a position that he held for roughly three years. Sickert exhibited with the Group on three occasions and his influence on their style and working methods had a long-lasting effect. Elwin was the most prolific member of the Group and Alex. Reid & Lefevre recognised his abilities by placing him on a retainer and staging two one man shows of his work. Elwin was selected, with Walter Steggles, to represent Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1936: this was international approbation of his talent of the highest order.

After the army service during the war Elwin’s attempts to re-start his artistic career came to nought so he took full-time employment with Plessey and taught art at evening classes in the local area. His life was cut tragically short by a brain aneurism whilst he was on a bus travelling to Woodbury Down School aged just 49. His inimitable style lives on through his surviving work which is highly sought after today.