John Lockwood Kipling

Born in 1837, John Lockwood Kipling was an English illustrator, designer, art teacher, and museum curator. He spent much of his working life in India, where he became known for his interest in local crafts and decorative arts as well as for his efforts to support art education.

He taught at the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art in Bombay and later became closely associated with the Mayo School of Arts and the Lahore Museum. His work brought together practical design, teaching, and careful observation of Indian artistic traditions, and he wrote and illustrated on these subjects as well.

Many readers also know him as the father of Rudyard Kipling. Beyond that family connection, he had a creative career of his own, producing illustrations and designs and leaving behind a record of the art and craftsmanship he encountered during the late 19th century.