Edwin La Dell was born in Rotherham, the son of Thomas La Dell, a Sheffield-born bookbinder.
La Dell was appointed as an official war artist during the Second World War, working on both public murals and camouflage, but his best known works are those from the post-war era, in particular the lithographs he created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, for the School Prints scheme, for Lyons Tea Rooms and his own series of Oxford, Cambridge, Kent and New York.
La Dell's work is currently held in many collections, including those of the Royal Academy and the Government Art Collection.