Louisa Puller

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Louisa Puller (1884-1963) was a British artist who contributed works to both the Recording Britain scheme and to the War Artists' Advisory Committee during the Second World War.

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Biography

Holborn Viaduct and the City Temple, London (Art.IWM ART LD 1691) (1941) Holborn Viaduct and the City Temple, London (Art.IWM ART LD 1691) (1941).jpg
Holborn Viaduct and the City Temple, London (Art.IWM ART LD 1691) (1941)

Puller travelled widely throughout England during World War Two on behalf of Recording Britain, depicting the impact of war in at least nine different counties and was among the most prolific artists employed by the scheme. For Recording Britain, Puller was sent at short notice to the village of Sudbourne in Suffolk, arriving just hours before it was appropriated for tank training by the British Army and the local population departed. Her other contributions included six studies of Tetbury in Gloucestershire. [1] The War Artists' Advisory Committee, WAAC, purchased two watercolours by Puller of bomb damage in the City of London. [2] [3] Her work for Recording Britain is now part of the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, while the Imperial War Museum holds the paintings purchased from her by WAAC.

Puller appears to have been an amateur artist, with no record of having a professional artistic career. [1] [4] In 1913 she was living in Elsecar near Barnsley and in 1926 she designed a number of panels for an illustrated, limited edition book about Wilthamstow and Highham. [5] In 1940 Puller had one work shown in a Royal Academy exhibition and appeared to be living in London at that time. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 David Mellor, Gill Saunders & Patrick Wright (1990). Recording Britain A Pictorial Domesday of pre-war Britain. David & Charles. ISBN   0-7153-9798-2.
  2. Imperial War Museum. "Correspondence with artists". Imperial War Museum . Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  3. Kathleen Palmer (2011). Women War Artists. Tate Publishing/ Imperial War Museum. ISBN   978-1-85437-989-4.
  4. "Book review:Recording Britain". Country Life. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  5. 1 2 Gill Saunders, ed. (2011). Recording Britain. V&A Publishing. ISBN   978-1-85177-661-0.