Outside-In Art

Lettice Sandford, British printmaker, draughtsman, watercolourist, publisher and craft worker. 1902 - 1993.

Born 1902 in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Studied at the Byam Shaw and Vicat Cole School of Art, then at Chelsea School of Art, 1926-9, working under Percy Jowett (1882-1955). She was taught to engrave on wood by Robert Day and etching by Graham Sutherland (q.v.). She married Christopher Sandford in 1929. Their son was the playwrite Jeremy Sandford (1930-2003). With her husband ran the Boar's Head Press, whose books were printed at the Chiswick Press. In 1933 they bought the Golden Cockerel Press from Robert Gibbings (q.v.). She illustrated many of their books: engraving on wood, copper and zinc and published two of her own children's books. After WWII she illustrated 4 books for the Folio Society. After the Press was sold in 1959 she and her husband created a small museum at their home in Eye Manor nr. Leominster. She became an expert in corn dollies, reviving the craft and writing a practical leaflet and 'Decorative Straw Work and Corn Dollies' 1964.