We have kindly been sent information about F.A. Rolfe from the Old Redingensians Association (the old boys club of Reading School) where Rolfe studied as a boy and went on to be a member of the teaching staff. We are grateful to Ken for these additional insights. 

F.A. Rolfe was educated at Reading School 1916 – 1917 and returned there as a visiting Art Master to the Junior School in 1924. He served in the RAF in WWII and again returned to Reading School becoming assistant to the Art Master, S.J. Cox (the Junior School having ceased to take new entrants with the passing of the 1944 Education Act). Rolfe left Reading School service on 31 August 1949.

Stanley Justins Cox was also an active member of the RGA from its founding year (1930) until the beginning of WWII, when he appears to stop exhibiting, but remained a member until 1957. Referred to as the Tilehurst artist in our History, his address being in the Oxford Road, he exhibited works in various media from oils and watercolour, pastel, drawing and textiles. 

S. Justins Cox (as he is often listed in catalogues) was on the teaching staff at Reading School alongside Rolfe much of the time, first as an assistant and then as his departmental head; their careers to some extent mirrored each other and they both left the School in the same year. Born in 1883, his connection with Reading perhaps commenced when he attended Reading University College (forerunner of UoR) from 1899-1900. He obtained a Board of Education qualification in Drawing from Life and Memory.

After the First World War he was in charge of the Art Wing of the Army College, Cologne in occupied Germany. On his return to England he became, in 1924, a part-time art assistant in the Junior School at Reading School but soon began to teach also in the main School at the top of the drive. He also held a number of visiting posts elsewhere. In 1939 on the death of H.A. Barkas (another member and President of the RGA) he took full charge of Reading School Art Department and held that post until he retired in 1949. 

Sadly, we have no examples of Stanley Justins Cox art work, and would welcome any additional information.  

If you have any further information about this artist or his paintings, please contact our Archivist.