George L Thomson, DA (Edin) FSSJ, craftsman; born December 15, 1916, died January 2, 2001. With the death of George Thomson, Scotland has lost a craftsman and calligrapher extraordinary, known internationally to many for his teaching books, the last of which, Rubber Stamps and How to Make Them, showed his unequalled skill with a fine needle and an eraser to produce delightful engravings. His self-portrait in this medium is a little masterpiece and an excellent likeness. George left school at 14 and found difficulty getting a job owing to his stunted growth. However, he was enrolled eventually at Edinburgh College of Art, but not as a diploma student as his goal was to train for commercial art. He took his two-year prescribed course and then opted for calligraphy, lino-cutting with animals, fish, and birds as subject matter, and for this he devoted much of his time drawing at the zoo. His lino-cuts were eventually printed on vellum and beautifully bound in leather. Unusual for such a course, he was awarded an Andrew Grant Travelling Scholarship which was spent, again most unusually, cycling through France, Italy, Austria, Germany, and Belgium, and, having clocked 7500 miles, much of it in atrocious winter weather, made it back home, seven months later. The College of Art authorities were relieved to see George back safely and, since he was set on commercial art, arranged for him to spend some time in the Radio Times art studio in London. He found London life most uncongenial and soon was back in Edinburgh, with war looming. At the outbreak of war he was directed into engineering, mostly unskilled, but eventually found his niche as a draughtsman with Rolls-Royce and even experienced working in connection with the development of the Whittle jet engine. Following the war, George tried various things, even running an art shop as a partner, but was finally driven to find a solution more to his solitary nature - a hut in the country, where he could grow his own fruit and vegetables and find time to paint, and, of course, indulge in calligraphic practice. The hut was found at Leuchars and taken to a piece of land on Grangehill Farm and set up overlooking Burntisland golf course. But despite much hard work, this scheme came to nothing and George was really up against it - literally, starving. This is when we met again, for we had been colleagues at the College of Art taking calligraphy together and equally interested in the subject. A short stint at Kirkcaldy High led to a spell as an itinerant teacher around Fife for which George acquired a three-wheel car. But he could not expect promotion unqualified so now he had to consider taking the Higher Leaving Certificate which would open the way to take the College of Art diploma, and so to Moray House College of Education to gain all the necessary bits of paper to become a fully fledged teacher. From 1949 to 1953 it was all hard work for George but he surmounted the obstacles and in that year became the art teacher at Burntisland Secondary School. His financial security taken care of, he could now consider pursuing his calligraphy and his first attempt, The Puffin Book of Handwriting, was produced in 1954 and became a bestseller. It brought George a measure of fame and boosted his morale. At Burntisland, he acquired proper art and craft rooms and, with a pottery room with a kiln, soon had the children on to ceramics. He introduced me to Scrabble, for he made his own board and fired the clay letters in the kiln - we played regularly for many years. Another of his innovations was the installation of a printing press which was followed by book-binding, and in this he excelled as my collection testifies, for, as a true craftsman, he insisted on the highest of professional standards. His stay at Burntisland came to an end when the secondary school was transformed to Balivearie High in Kirkcaldy and he became an assistant with his activities severely curtailed - six art teachers to share five rooms and, therefore, no longer was there scope for his inspirational craftwork. This was in 1965. He was unhappy and soon requested a transfer and was moved to a primary school near his new abode, the White Cottage, Balgrie Bank, Kennoway. By now he was no longer as fit for teaching and itinerant travelling, so decided to retire in 1967 and to devote his time to cultivate his large plot as well as pursue his love of lettering on stone for such people as Iain Hamilton Finlay. He also began writing recipe books for Canongate Press, using his flowing italic, elaborated with beautiful broad pen illustrations. He produced three: Traditional Scottish Recipes, Christmas Recipes, and finally Traditional Irish Recipes, wonderfully enhanced by the most delightful animals and birds, snakes and fish and plants, inspired by the Book of Kells. His final book, My Life as a Scribe, was published in 1988 and was dedicated to a young American lady who had visited him in 1976 - Beki Blue. Beki's parents invited George to their home in Sacramento and he also was befriended by Professor Margaret Rigg of Eckerd College, St Petersburg, spending quite a time in the United States on two visits. Beki was concerned about George's health, with his increasing arthritis and immobility and lack of usual home facilities such as running water. Over the years she kept up a steady stream of correspondence with him so the postman could keep a check on how he was coping. It was the postman who eventually raised the alarm. George made many friends and will be sorely missed, but by none more so than Beki Blue. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.