Biography
Elwin Henry (Hay) Hawthorn(e) (b. London UK 1905 - d. London 1954) studied at the Bethnnal Green Men's Institute and from 1927 with John Albert Cooper (1894-1943) at the Bow and Bromley Evening Institute. His wife was the painter Lilian Anne Leahy (later Maurice) (1909-1996), and his uncle the part-time artist Henry Silk (1883-1948) who from 1929 all became members of the East London Group of artists. When he showed at the East London Art Club exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery between 8 December – 22 December 1928, an 'e' was mistakenly added to his last name, which he was later advised not to remove. He knew Walter Sickert, whose studio assistant he was for three years. He was eventually under contract to Alex. Reid & Lefevre and had two exhibitions at their King Street galleries in 1934 (with Vanessa Bell) and in 1938 (with Thérèse Lessore, Sickert's third wife). Hawthorne was also selected to exhibit, with fellow East London Group artist, Walter Steggles, at the Venice Biennale in 1936. The painting North Foreland Lighthouse, Broadstairs, Kent gifted to the the Contemporary Art Society by Sir Edward Marsh and presented to Russell Cotes Gallery, Bournemouth was used for the iconic Everywhere you go - You can be sure of Shell poster series in 1931.
In WW2 Hawthorne served with ARP (Air-raid Precautions) and St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Then he served in the Army, after which he worked for Plessey’s, handling wages. Hawthorne died prematurely on his way to Woodbury Down School, one of several evening classes that he taught at. Pictures by Hawthorne of pre-WW2 London are simple in design; he captures the atmosphere of almost-deserted streets with a near-surreal style. Among collectors were the Duke of Rutland, Earl of Sandwich, Viscount D’Abernon, Earl of Radnor, Charles Laughton and J. B. Priestley, Sir Edward Marsh, the latter of whom gifted or bequeathed them to the Contemporary Art Society and Manchester Art Gallery holds his Church near Blackheath, purchased and presented by the CAS, between 1934 and 1939.
