Vernon Ward (1905-1985)
Matchstick Sellers

Painter and draughtsman, born in London but travelled widely. His father was an art dealer, and, in his shop, he learned to copy all styles of painting. At Henry Tooks' instigation in 1919 aged 14 Ward began 3 years study at Slade School of Fine Art. The death of his farther when Ward was 21 forced him to seek commercial work to support himself and his mother. Wards period costume and flower pictures, landscapes and bird studies were reproduced on chocolate boxes, cards and in Everybody's magazine and extensively as prints by The Medici Society and W R Royle, although Ward continued to paint non-commercial work for his own pleasure. His first solo show was in 1976 at King Street Galleries. Others followed there and in the provinces. For most of his life Ward had the use of only one eye, the other damaged in an accident. His own memories form much of Josephine S Walpole's Vernon Ward Child of the Edwardian Era, 1988.