ABC Walton-on-Thames

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Eugene Mollo a brilliant designer whose early career began as a scenic artist, being only sixteen when he was employed by Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballet Russes, training and working under such luminaries as Max Ernst, Matisse, Picasso, Henri Laurens and Leon Bakst. later coming to London and enrolling at the Royal Academy of Art, where he studied painting on a three year course Graduating ARCA Diploma for painting on 20th July 1928 two of his paintings are held at the Victoria & Albert Museum. It was here whilst studying he met his future wife, also a student and a painter. Soon after his first son John was born he had taken a position as Head scenic artist by the interior designers Marc Henri & Laverdet at the new Astoria theatre Streatham, where he designed and painted all of the Egyptian murals, including the outstanding Lotus Room (see Streatham Astoria) It was while working here he met Michael Egan who had been employed as a draughtsman. Later in 1931 they founded the firm Mollo & Egan, with Mollo as designer and artist, Egan as draughtsman responsible for designing the metalwork and fabrication for their fibrous plaster interiors. Their first interior was for Architect Robert Cromie the Playhouse Theatre Dewsbury 1931.

Ron Knee