Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale
English artist and nuclear disarmament activist
About Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale
Lived 1910 – 1995 (aged 85). Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale was a British artist.
Gillian Greenwood, Baroness Greenwood of Rossendale (; 11 April 1910 – 19 July 1995), commonly known as Jill Greenwood, was an English artist, illustrator and designer, co-creator of the Ministry of Information's Make-Do and Mend pamphlet series and an important early member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Early life Born Gillian Crawshay-Williams in London to parents Leslie Crawshay-Williams and Joyce Collier Kilburn, Greenwood was the younger of their two children (her elder brother being writer Rupert Crawshay-Williams, born in 1908). making Jill's maternal great-grandfather English biologist and "Darwin's Bulldog" Thomas Henry Huxley.
Leslie and Joyce married in 1906 and divorced in 1918. Joyce Collier later remarried automobile retail agent Drysdale Kilburn; she was an accomplished artist in her own right and was a member of The Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers.
After her parents' divorce, Greenwood was sent to a boarding school near Bishop's Stortford where she became head girl and a skilled tennis player. pamphlets for the Ministry of Information. These iconic publications provided tips to housewives on harsh rationing, giving advice on how to stay frugal yet chic by reusing old clothing, creating ‘decorative patches’ to cover holes in worn garments; unpicking and re-knitting old jumpers, and protecting one's garments against the ‘moth menace’.
She remained at Jaeger for almost 30 years, playing a role in the design of their distinctive criss-crossed 'J' logo, and developing a reputation for her innovative and whimsical window dressings: "Post-war at a time of shortage she famously designed an enormous pair of scales for the window of Jaeger's Regent Street shop balancing sheep, representing cashmere sweaters available only for export, against vital imports such as tea, coffee and New Zealand butter. Underneath in the shop window there was the laconic statement "Britain must balance her budget". She devised the Regent Street decorations for the Festival of Britain in 1951, and in 1954 was the designer of Regent Street's first Christmas lights. In 1959 she arranged the decoration of Oxford Street's lampposts between Tottenham Court Road and Marble Arch for the first Christmas display. Eventually she was put in charge of Jaeger's window displays across the country, before retiring in 1960.
Overcoming Tony's initial caution, they were both familiar figures at the head of Aldermaston marches in the early 1960s, while their daughter Susanna helped to found CND's youth wing.
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Important facts
People in Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale?
English artist and nuclear disarmament activist (1910–1995)
When was Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale born?
Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale was born on 11 April 1910 in London.
When did Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale die?
Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale died on 19 July 1995 in London.
What was Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale's occupation?
Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale was an artist.
What nationality was Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale?
Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale was British.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale. https://biography.guide/gillian-lady-greenwood-of-rossendale/
MLA: "Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gillian-lady-greenwood-of-rossendale/.
Chicago: "Gillian, Lady Greenwood of Rossendale." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gillian-lady-greenwood-of-rossendale/.
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