Ernest William Watson (1884–1969)

[excerpted from artist's memorial website]
Ernest W. Watson completed his preliminary education at the Monson (Mass.) Academy, was graduated in 1906 at the Massachusetts Normal Art School (now Massachusetts College of Art), Boston, and received an art teacher education degree in 1907 at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, after a year of study there. From 1908 to 1929 he was a teacher of design, drawing, perspective and composition at Pratt, where he also supervised day and evening classes during 1919-1929.

In 1915 Ernest W. Watson co-founded the Berkshire Summer School of Art, Monterey, Mass., with Raymond P. Ensign. Watson continued active in the school during summers until 1927. The school stayed in existence until 1936.

In 1931 Watson became art editor of Scholastic Magazine, published in New York City, remaining in that capacity until 1937. Also in 1937, with Ralph Reinhold and Arthur L. Guptill, he founded Watson-Guptill Publications, Inc., New York City, of which he was vice-president until December, 1955. During the early1960's he was a consultant on art books to the Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York City, and produced 15 books on drawing, perspective, composition and instruction, ten of them after his retirement.

By 1920, together with his first wife, Eva Auld Watson, also a gifted and accomplished artist, Ernest developed new techniques of color printmaking and organized traveling exhibitions for the display of their prints. His work was aquired by the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.. the New York Public Library, New York City, Brooklyn Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Albert H. Wiggin Print Collection of the Boston Public Library.