Gifford, Marguerite (1887 - 1969)

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Marguerite Gifford (1887-1969) spent the first half of her life as a college-educated, upper-middle class wife whose pastimes seem to consist of membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution and president of the Woman’s Club of Louisville. In 1939, with war looming in Europe, Gifford turned her sights to travel in Asia and Oceania. She visited such cities as Bombay, Bangkok, and Hong Kong on her way to Japan. While in Japan, she studied woodblock printing by apprenticing for two different Japanese printmakers. As of today, there have only been four woodblock print designs that were completed for Gifford by Japanese craftsman. Upon her return to the U.S., Gifford lectured about her travels and continued to study art. She became a well-known figure in the Kentucky art scene for the rest of her life, exhibiting her work both in and out of the state.