Edna Lumb was born in Leeds in 1931. She studied at Leeds College of Art from 1948 to 1953, and became a full-time artist in 1964. Companies and organisations including Laing Properties, Sir Alfred McAlpine and Company and the National Audit Office commissioned work from Lumb. In 1969 Lumb followed the airborne aid programme to Biafra, painting machines in motion. Lumb is noted for painting the industrial landscape of coal, engine houses, construction sites, sand and gravel, bridges, sewers, furnaces, vintage rail, docklands, pylons, and seaside piers.

Edna Lumb died in 1992.