James Lunnon
James Lunnon (October 3, 1897 – November 27, 1954) was a British-born, American-based artist and engineer during the first half of the twentieth century. He was known primarily for his portraits of the wealthy and famous, including such notables as Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, Frank Buck, and Will Rogers. Early life James Lunnon was born in Chesterton, Cambridgeshire, England on October 3, 1897. His father, James, was a miller later active in Labour politics, while his mother was a concert violinist and painter.[1] For about three years he attended Malvern Public School in Worcestershire, England, before taking an apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce in London. He attended art classes at the Slade School of Art during the evenings while working at Rolls-Royce. In the late spring and summer, 1914, he moved to Paris and studied art at the Academie Julien.[2] World War I On August 4 at the start of the war, Lunnon returned to England. When he turned 16, he falsified his age and joined the Royal Marine Artillery, working with Rolls-Royce armored cars and other weapons in Belgium and France. In 1917 he learned to fly and was commissioned in the Royal Naval Air Force, which joined with the Royal