W J Steggles, 1908-1997.

Born into modest surroundings in east London in 1908, he showed early promise as an artist. When the family moved to Lower Swainswick near Bath, he met Frederick Sheppard, a local artist, teacher and pianist, who was the first person to seriously influence him in his artistic pursuits. The family returned to the London area and he attended Valentines School in Ilford and left there in 1922 to join Furness Withy & Co Ltd, where he stayed for his entire working life.

He started to attend art classes at the Bethnal Green Men's Institute with his younger brother Harold where he met John Cooper, the founder of the East London Group in 1925. Steggles became a leading member of the grou...