Philip William Bawcombe, FRSA born in London in 1906 and died in 2000, was an industrial designer, inter alia for film studios, and official South African war artist during World War II, who also produced acclaimed collections of paintings illustrating the cities of Johannesburg and Kimberley, in South Africa, published as books in 1973 and 1976 respectively.
He enlisted with the South African forces, serving initially in the Middle East where he was commissioned as second in command of a camouflage unit.
He served a term as president of the Natal Society of Arts, and held exhibitions in South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland.
A major commission was the design of villas on the Greek island of Skiathos, followed by a return to Britain as art director in the film industry.
[4] Back in South Africa from 1968, art works for two books illustrating the historical townscapes of Johannesburg and Kimberley were amongst projects taken up in the early to mid-1970s.