Life

Rooke was born in Acton

Acton, London

Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...

, in London, where he would remain all of his life. His father was Thomas Matthews Rooke, for many years Edward Burne-Jones

Edward Burne-Jones

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...

' studio assistant, and an accomplished artist in his own right; his mother Leonora Rooke (née Jones), who had been governess to Burne-Jones daughter, Margaret. Rooke studied in France at the Lycee de Chartres and then at the Godolphin School

Godolphin and Latymer School

The Godolphin and Latymer School is an independent school for 700 girls aged eleven to eighteen in London. Ms Margaret Rudland was the head mistress of the school for over 20 years before being succeeded by Ms Ruth Mercer.-History:...

 in Hammersmith, London. He completed his further education at the Slade School of Fine Art

Slade School of Fine Art

The Slade School of Fine Art is a world-renownedart school in London, United Kingdom, and a department of University College London...

 and the Central School of Arts and Crafts. His notable teachers were W.R. Lethaby and Edward Johnston

Edward Johnston

Edward Johnston, CBE was a British-Uruguayan craftsman who is regarded, with Rudolf Koch, as the a father of modern calligraphy, in the form of the broad edged pen as a writing tool, a particular form of calligraphy....

.

On 31 December 1932, Rooke married one of his pupils, Celia Mary Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes. He died at West London Hospital on 5 October 1953.

Work

In 1904, Rooke developed a method whereby wood-engravings for book illustration could be printed directly from the block. Around this time, he also inspired Eric Gill

Eric Gill

Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...

 to start engraving. Together they did many engravings for book illustration, helping to revive the practice. In 1914 Rooke began to teach his own method of engraving at Central School, where he had been working since 1905. In the same year, he was appointed head of book production at the school. He was to stay in this role for thirty years. Amongst his students were Robert Gibbings

Robert Gibbings

Robert Gibbings was an Irish artist and author who was most noted for his work as a wood carver and engraver and for his books on travel and natural history.-Life:...

, Mary Skempton and Clare Leighton

Clare Leighton

Clare Veronica Hope Leighton was an English/American artist, writer and illustrator, best known for her wood engravings.Clare Leighton was born in London on 12 April 1898, the daughter of Robert Leighton and Marie Connor Leighton , both authors...

.

In 1920 Rooke helped to found the Society of Wood Engravers

Society of Wood Engravers

The Society of Wood Engravers was co-founded in 1920 by British wood engraving artist Gwendoline Raverat, wife of French painter Jacques Raverat.The Society was revived in 1984 by Hilary Paynter. It publishes a bulletin called Multiples....

 and in the same year he became an associate of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers.