Victoria and Albert Museum: Archive of Art and Design
Introduction and summary description
| Creator: | Vera Law | |
| Reference: | AAD/1997/5 | |
| Extent: | 31 files |
Vera Law (1899 - 1985) was born in Northampton. She trained at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London from 1917 to 1922 under Graily Hewitt and H. Laurence Christie. In 1921 she was one of fourteen founder members of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators and she exhibited nine pieces of work at the Society's first exhibition in July 1922. She later became Secretary of the Society between 1937 and 1943.
Before the Second World War she had a variety of jobs in London, including gilding and undertaking gesso work at Joseph Armitage's workshop in 1922, handicraft tutor at H.M. Borstal Institution in 1924, assistant teacher of illuminating and writing at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London from 1927 to 1930 and assistant in conservation to S. Kennedy North from 1928 to 1930. She worked with other scribes on several major commissions including the production of the Metropolitan Police Roll of Honour with Dorothy Hutton and the study of humanistic scripts with Alfred Fairbank, with whom she published several articles on Ludovico Vincentino degli Arrighi. She died on 19 July 1985.
Examples of lettering for the National Memorial Scroll for Lord Roberts (ca.1918); photographs of the Wilton Diptych and other altar pieces (1920s); correspondence and references relating to Vera Law's career (1923 - 1950); photographs and press cuttings relating to the Roll of Honour for the Metropolitan Police (1950); fabric samples and a lino cut relating to designs produced by Vera Law (ca.1950s); album containing postcards (ca.1950s); collages, cuttings and sketches relating to the design of greetings cards by Vera Law (ca.1960s); paper samples (undated).
Gift of Audrey Freeman, 1997.
General information on access to material in the Archive of Art and Design is available on the archive pages of the NAL website.
| Original decorative work: design sketches, collages, samples of textile design, [n.d.] | ||||
| Extent: 7 files | ||||
| Reference | Description | Dates | ||
| AAD/1997/5/1-14 | Packet of assorted loose design
sketches, traced on paper, mainly drafts for greeting cards, vouchers, and book
and tokens. Some V.L. hand coloured. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/15-22 | Flower designs, traced on paper,
and two flower collages. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/23 | Textile designs on printed
fabrics. Teapot design with small lino cut and swatches from Dickins and Jones,
Robinson and Cleaver, and DHE (D.H. Evans). 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/24 | Acorn designs, samples in
assorted colours and fabrics, one marked "Designed, cut and printed by V.L."
Swatches from Jones, and Dickins & Jones. Sample of acorn combined with cup
and saucer design, marked J.L. [John Lewis?]. 3 sketches of teapot. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/25 | Samples of plain fabric, two
marked V.L. and Jones. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/26 | Notes on colours, marked
Hollingsworth. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/27 | Assorted samples of decorative
borders mainly paper, a few fabric. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| Examples of, and materials used in calligraphy and gilding, [n.d.] | ||||
| Extent: 6 files | ||||
| Reference | Description | Dates | ||
| AAD/1997/5/28-29 | Copy of preamble to National
Memorial Scroll (for Lord Roberts) with note of his titles, decorations and
regimental commands. Also noted that the scroll was engrossed by
V.L. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/30 | Copy of pro forma letter signed
George R.I. (King George V) sending this memorial of a "brave life given for
others in the Great War." 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/31-35 | Photocopies of title page and
four (non consecutive) pages of the Roll of Honour for the Metropolitan Police,
1914-18 and 1939-45. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/36 | Cutting from Folkestone Herald
relating to above Roll and to Vera Law's major share in production. 1 file | 1950 July 7 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/37 | Photograph of a blank gesso
panel, for a church. Annotated on rear "carved and gilded by Vera Law, 29
Collingham Gardens, SW5". Also noted that panel was designed for later painting
by Hugh de Poix, query pre-1928. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/38 | Assorted samples of coloured
papers used as borders. Various shapes and textures, some very thin
strips. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| Documents and papers, 1923-1995 | ||||
| Extent: 11 files | ||||
| Reference | Description | Dates | ||
| AAD/1997/5/39 | Testimonial from Central School
of Arts and Crafts, commending Vera Law's work as a student. 1 file | 1923 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/40 | Testimonial from Governor of
Borstal Institution, Aylesbury commending Vera Law's work as Handwork
tutor. 1 file | 1924 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/41 | Copy of form from L.C.C.
appointing Vera Law as part time teacher of writing in Central School of Arts
& Crafts. 1 file | 1927 Oct 24 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/42 | Copy of note by Vera Law re. her
hours of teaching in L.C.C. Hammersmith School of Building and Arts and
Crafts. 1 file | 1939 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/43 | Application form, signed and
completed by Vera Law, for appointment as part time teacher at Hammersmith
School of Building and Arts and Crafts, gives details of education,
qualifications and experience, and names three suppliers of
testimonials. 1 file | 1945 Dec 12 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/44 | Letter to Vera Law from House of
Lords' Crown Office, enclosing drafts of letters patent and commenting on VL's
design of Barony Patent for Lt. Colonel Rees-Williams. 1 file | 1950 June 29 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/45 | Draft of Letter Patent
conferring Barony on David Rees-Williams, signed Napier. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/46 | Draft of Letter Patent
conferring Barony on Sir John Bradbury, signed Napier. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1995/5/47 | Cutting from The Times of
Birthday Honours List confirming Baronetcy for Colonel
Rees-Williams 4 pages | 1950 June 8 | ||
| AAD/1997/5/48 | Cutting from the Sphere
magazine, relating to Kennedy North and his method of x-ray diagnosis of
pictures, p. 111. 4 pages See also: AAD/1997/5/53 | 1995 Mar | ||
| AAD/1997/5/49 | Copy of photograph of Cedrus
Deodora (tree) planted in memory of Vera Law, 1899-1985 in Abington Park in
Northampton. Annotated by A. Freeman Stroud, Glos. 1 file | 1995 Mar | ||
| Reference material, various, [n.d.] | ||||
| Extent: 7 files | ||||
| Reference | Description | Dates | ||
| AAD/1997/5/50 | Selection of pictures of
assorted flowers and shrubs, cut out from seed catalogues. A few identified, no
dates. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/51-55 | Material relating to the Wilton
Diptych. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| Contains the following documents: | ||||
| National Art Collections
Fund's report on acquisition of Wilton Diptych for National Gallery.
111. 4 pages, ref: AAD/1997/5/51 | [n.d.] | |||
| Reproductions of Diptych
panels, front and reverse. 2 pages, ref: AAD/1997/5/52 | [n.d.] | |||
| Letters to The Times re.
The Diptych from Kennedy North July 8, no year 1 item, ref: AAD/1997/5/53 See also: AAD/1997/5/47 | [n.d.] | |||
| Letter to The Times re.
The Diptych from Martin Conway Aug 26, no year 1 item, ref: AAD/1997/5/54 | [n.d.] | |||
| Letter to The Times re.
The Diptych from Herbert Blakiston Aug 22, no year 1 item, ref: AAD/1997/5/55 | [n.d.] | |||
| AAD/1997/5/56 | Section of National Gallery's
reproduction of Crivelli's Madonna and Child with Saints. Identified on
rear. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/57 | Reproduction of ca. 14th
Painting of Virgin and Child with Angels, exhib. In London in 1930. Details of
subject matter annotated on rear, poss. by Vera Law. b.w. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/58 | National Gallery reproduction of
Oreagna's Coronation of the Virgin. Florentine School ca. 14th.
b.w. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/59 | Photograph album, cloth covers,
containing assorted postcards of medieval paintings and book illustrations.
Also photographs of a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream (no venue or
casting details) and of a statue in Coventry Cathedral. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||
| AAD/1997/5/60 | Blank paper, assorted sizes,
textures and colours. 1 file | [n.d.] | ||