Platt, John Edgar (1886 to 1967) – principal from 1928/ 29 to 1941.

John Edgar Platt was the Principal of Blackheath School of Art from 1929 to 1940 having moved to Blackheath from Leicester College of Art so he could teach part-time enabling him to devote time to his own printmaking.

Platt was an expert proponent of the Japanese colour woodcut method. His contacts allowed the involvement of many well-known artists as either teachers or guest lecturers at the school.

Artists such as Douglas Bliss, James Woodford, Frederick and Robert Austin, Reginald Brill, Charles Paine, William Clause, Joan Herrin and Margaret Holden Jones all taught at the school in the 1930’s.

Platt also organised a number of temporary exhibitions which attracted interest from the students and residents of Blackheath including Recent Acquisitions of the Contemporary Art Society (1934), English Landscape Painting, Embroidery Today (1935), Architecture Today (1935), Save the Countryside (1930) and Printing Crafts: Commercial and Artistic (1933).

Many guest lecturers were invited to speak at the school including Malcolm Osborne, Mary Adshead, James Laver, Percy Buck, Frank Dyson, Lawrence Binyon and Barnett Freedman.

Platt remained at the school until its closure in 1940 and moved to nearby Goldsmith’s in October of the same year. For more about Platt see the excellent - http://woodblock.com/platt/

An accomplished wood engraver; who designed a London Transport poster for the zoo and book illustrations. Worked in the Japanese method of wood engraving. Married to Phyllis Marguerite Platt (nee Harvey-George).

BBC Your Paintings –
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/john-edgar-platt