Robert Joseph Scanlan (1908-1997) was a painter, printmaker, muralist, poster designer and illustrator.  He was born in County Cork in Ireland and grew up in Monkstown, to the south of the city of Cork.  Scanlan moved to Birkenhead in the late 1920s and subsequently studied art in London and in France, Spain and Romania. At the time of his marriage in 1939 he lived in William IV Street, near to The Strand in London. He served with the London Irish Rifles in World War Two and his painting 'Sentries in a Guard Room' was acquired for the Imperial War Museum in October 1941. In 1942 he went to Malta at the behest of the War Office to record events in what were very harrowing circumstances. In the period 1949-60 he designed posters for London Transport 1949-60, examples of which are held at the London Transport Museum, and for the GPO.  His work is also held by the British Council. Robert Scanlan exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery Liverpool, the Royal Academy, Leicester Galleries, at the Festival of Britain, and at other venues.  He lived in Wimbledon, London, SW19 for many years and died in July 1997 at the age of 89 years.