Gladys Dawson

Gladys Dawson (1909-1993) later Gladys Woodruff, was a British artist known as a painter and illustrator of children's books.

Biography Dawson was born in Castleton in Rochdale and, after a private school education, she attended Heatherley's School of Art from 1936 to 1939. After graduation, Dawson worked as a commercial artist for a number of different clients. She created fabric designs for both the Liberty department store in London and for the Courtaulds textile company, as well as greeting cards for Raphael Tuck & Sons and also book jackets. Three years later she was elected a full member of the academy. In 1952 she became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

From the early 1950s, Dawson was active in the Society of Women Artists, being elected an associate member in 1953 and a full member in 1955. She served as the Society's president from 1982 to 1985.