English woodcut artist Edith Koessler was moved to capture the suffering of children in wartime after reading Peter Townsend’s 1980 book, The Smallest Pawns in the Game. The book is a compilation of stories of children impacted by war – losing family members, whole communities, and being forced into internment. Koessler felt inspired to capture the stories of these children after reading the book while on a family holiday. “The children come to life in my mind and I feel compelled to do the woodcuts. Children and mothers always used to be the most important subject for me, I feel very strongly for them.”
The woodcut prints displayed are from an edition of 20 and were created by the artist in Kasterlee, Belgium; the stamp for the noted printmaking studio Frans Masareel Centre is visible on the prints. This set was printed in 1982 and sent to Dr. Heinrich Rumpel, a wood engraver and artist living in Switzerland. Koessler’s woodcut portfolio was donated to UMBC Special Collections by professor emeritus Mary Stuart in 2023.
The woodcuts will be on display through November 2024 in the Library Rotunda. After the exhibit is deinstalled, researchers may view the woodcuts in the Special Collections reading room.