Holloway, Edgar, RE
1914 – 2008
The son of a miner turned picture-framer and print-seller, who bought him his first printing press and provided a sales outlet for his earliest prints.
Holloway acquired a copy of E S Lumsden's 'The Art of Etching' which became his bible and he learnt the rudiments of etching through a correspondence course.
A precociously skilled portraitist his work brought him at a young age to the attention of many of the leading figures involved with etching including the artist James McBey and writers and curators including Campbell Dodgson who offered encouragement and patronage.
In 1935 he met the Scottish printmaker William Wilson RSA with whom he formed a close friendship. In 1936 the pair moved into a cottage at Nettleswell Common where they installed a small printing press and worked together for six months.
They remained in contact after Wilson established his stained glass business in Edinburgh and moved away from printmaking. Wilson made at least two stained glass panels as gifts for Holloway, and Holloway made an etching of Holyrood in 1937, probably during a visit to see Wilson.
Sixty years after losing out on election by a single vote on account of his age, Holloway was finally elected RE in 1991.
