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George W. Plank (1883-1965) |
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George Wolfe Plank, an American illustrator, was born in Pennsylvania. He moved to England in 1914 with his friends, James and Mildred Whitall. They lived first at 18 Cheyne Row in Chelsea then moved to 217 King's Road, once the home of Charles Kingsley (author of Water Babies) and next door to Ellen Terry. Once in England, the American trio began to meet and get to know their neighbors. The circle included authors and artists. Plank made friends easily and began to move about in all ranks of London society. |
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A self-taught artist, Plank produced covers for Vogue and black-and-white prints for inside the magazine. He made block-print illustrations for books of friends, designed stationery and bookplates, painted posters for the Red Cross, designed costumes, sets, and programs for theatre and ballet productions.
Plank soon moved out on his own, around the corner from his friends into a studio at 55 Glebe Place and eventually into a larger studio at 5 Thurloe Square. It was while living at Glebe Place that he first met E.F. Benson who lived nearby on Oakley Street. Their paths crossed frequently in the neighborhood and they developed a nodding acquaintance before finally introducing themselves.
(Information from English Years, by James Whitall, 1935, and from the George Plank Papers, Yale Collection of American Literature.) |
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Vogue magazine covers from the collection of Sylvia Kleindinst. |
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Writing to his sister in the U.S. in late 1916, Plank says, "I'm getting on very well with my drawing and have some black-and-whites to send off with it when it is done. The little ones I do between tea and dinner, when there is no |
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daylight for colour - I can do these by lamplight. The garden room is a hive of industry." (from the George Plank papers, Yale Collection of American Literature) |
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Other pages to view on this site: Welcome to the Garden Room
George Plank, page two
Or: E.F. Benson Meet Some Friends of Benson Benson-Related Web Sites |
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