Samuel Harry Hancock (1871-1932), widely known as "The Painting Postman" or the "London Postman Artist," was an English landscape and social realist painter who famously balanced his artistic passion with a full-time career delivering mail.
Born in Bishopsgate, London, the son of William and Ellen Hancock, Hancock was a true Cockney who lived and worked within sight of St. Paul's Cathedral. For over twenty years, he was employed as a postman at the East Central Office of the General Post Office (GPO) in London, officially designated in postal circles as "E.C. 447". Despite having no formal training at elite art schools and having never traveled outside of England, he spent every spare hour away from his demanding postal rounds sketching and painting. He did, however, take evening classes at Birkbeck College and City & Guilds School. He was also founder (in April 1925) and president of the Ilford Art Society..
His raw talent and dedication eventually earned him remarkable mainstream validation when 5 of his oil paintings were accepted and exhibited at the prestigious Royal Academy. He also exhibited at The Arlington Gallery (73 works) and the London Salon (3). He exhibited between
Hancock’s art typically fell into two categories: atmospheric London landscapes and poignant political/social commentary.