An Engraving Pedigree

Known as "the world's smallest engraver" for his miniature masterpieces, Graham Short has spent almost 50 years honing his craft, going to physical and mental extremes to produce the highest-quality engravings in the world.

Graham was born in Birmingham in 1946, into a family with serious engraving pedigree: an ancestor was Sir Francis Short, the renowned Victorian hand engraver.

After serving a six-year apprenticeship at the country's premier engraving company Efficiency Tool under the tutelage of the master engraver Bill Evans, Graham set up as a one-man engraving business in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter in 1974, soon developing a prestigious client list including the Royal Household, the Scottish Parliament, The National Gallery, Rolls Royce, gunmakers James Purdey & Sons, Chanel and Vivienne Westwood.

Graham's desire to produce an engraving so small as to be illegible to the naked eye led to the making of his masterpiece The Lord's Prayer Engraved on the Head of a Gold Pin, which can only be seen properly through a powerful microscope.

After a national newspaper discovered Graham's genius, the demand for his work was immediate.  His first fine art show was an instant sell-out.

For his next project Graham produced "Cutting edge", where he engraved "Nothing is Impossible" on the sharp edge of a razor blade.  As a result Graham hit instant global celebrity status.

In 2011, Graham engraved the nib edge of the antique fountain pen belonging to actor, writer and broadcaster Stephen Fry, with proceeds of its upcoming sale going to support the work of English PEN.

Appearing in news features internationally and the subject of a Discovery Channel documentary, Graham is now considered one of the most talented living artists in the world.