Arthur Comfort

Arthur Comfort (1864-1935) was a master wood engraver at "The Graphic" in London and art teacher in Halifax.

Life

Comfort was born in London, England on November 11, 1864, where he attended the Graphic School of Wood Engraving, and afterwards worked as an engraver for almost 15 years at The Graphic, a national illustrated journal founded in 1869 by William Luson Thomas. During that time, he achieved some renown for his watercolour paintings, especially of flowers, and his work was exhibited in Brussels and at the Royal Academy in London. He was regarded as one of the few engravers of high rank at the end of the Nineteenth Century in Great Britain along with Messrs Charles Roberts, Biscombe Gardner and Ulrich. [ [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Wood_Engraving "Wood Engraving" in "Encyclopedia Britannica of 1911"] ] He became the chairman of the International Society of Wood Engravers, but, with the development of half-tone and screen blocks for illustrations, wood-engraving became obsolete, and he left the journal and moved north.

Comfort settled in Halifax at Swires Road, and taught art at the local Heath Grammar School, and Sowerby Bridge and Hebden Bridge Secondary Schools. He joined the Halifax Art Society, and developed some skill with pen and ink sketches and mezzo-tints. The Halifax Evening Courier published two books of his sketches, "Sketches of Old Halifax" in 1912 and "Ancient Halls in and about Halifax" in 1913.

Comfort died in 1935 aged 71 at the Royal Halifax Infirmary. He was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

Publications

* [http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/wtw/results/recordpreview_it.jsp?Submit=Search&keyword3=&keyword2=&keyword1=Sketches+of+Old+Halifax&source=keyword&directid=100864 Sketches of Old Halifax]
* [http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/wtw/results/recordpreview_it.jsp?Submit=Search&authorterm=comfort&source=surname&directid=100865 Ancient Halls in and about Halifax]

Organizations

* [http://www.woodengravers.co.uk/ The Society of Wood Engravers]
* [http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ Royal Academy]

Footnotes