Accomplished illustrator and photographer Ira Shander spent decades collecting art, with many pieces, including his own, adorning the walls of his Bryn Mawr home, writes Sally A. Downey for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
‘Shander was first impressed by illustrations in fourth grade at Mann Elementary School in Wynnefield. In the back of the classroom, he discovered a bound volume of Harper’s Weekly magazines from the turn of the 20th century.
Inspired by woodblock engravings by political cartoonist Thomas Nast, he learned the craft while at the former University of the Arts. Still, he realized he preferred pen and ink. After a stint teaching art, he worked at Kody Lighting in Wayne for 25 years, then part-time at Valley Forge Flowers.
He also focuses on his art, drawing commissions of pen and ink house portraits. His photographs and illustrations have been exhibited at several local galleries and at the art show at Daylesford Abbey in Paoli.
He continues to collect and display art at his home, including posters, prints, and a 400-year-old portrait of a bearded man he calls “Uncle,” a gift from his aunt, Adeline Doner.
Read more about Ira Shander in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
