Ethel Larcombe (née Laura Ethel Larcombe, 1876–1940) was an early twentieth-century British children's book illustrator and designer.
Ethel Larcombe | |
|---|---|
| Born | Laura Ethel Larcombe 1876 Exeter, England |
| Died | 12 December 1940 (aged 63–64) Exeter, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Illustration, Typography |
| Movement | Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau |
Biography
editBorn and raised in Exeter, Larcombe was the daughter of John Samuel Larcombe and his wife Louisa who owned a small school in the town.[1] She first garnered attention for her 1899 work Summer for a competition held by The Studio Magazine, and her typographic lettering was subsequently shown at the Prima Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa Moderna in 1902 in Turin.[2] She was employed on a freelance basis by Talwin Morris, Art Director at the Glasgow-based publishers Blackie & Son to design bookbindings for the firm and their London subsidiary, Gresham.[3] Many of these designs were produced in several colourways.
Larcombe's work can be seen in contemporary publications by The Studio Magazine,[4] Stone,[5] Von Larisch,[6] Walter Shaw Sparrow[7] and Salwey.[8] In the spring of 1917, American retailer Sears marketed green-bordered cotton cloth "coverettes" bearing Larcombe illustrations to customers looking to decorate nurseries and children's rooms. Prior to that she had illustrated a number of "rag books" for Dean & Son.[9] Her designs were also used for chromolithographed postcards printed by E. W. Savory Co. of Bristol and she provided an advert for Arts & Crafts furniture designers Neatby & Evans.[10]
Larcombe died in Exeter on 12 December 1940.
References
edit- ^ Cope, P. & Cope, D. (2009) 'Dean's rag books and rag dolls: the products of a famous British publisher and toymaker', River Books, p.228
- ^ Koch, A. (1902) 'L'Exposition internationale des arts decoratifs modernes: à Turin 1902', Darmstadt: Koch, p.199, Available [1]
- ^ See Beare, G. (1998) ‘Designers of Blackie's Glasgow-style book covers’, Imaginative Book Illustration Society newsletter, no. 8, pp.5-8, and, Gibbs, R. J. (1984) ‘Talwin Morris again: evaluation and collaboration – Part II’, Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society newsletter, no. 37, pp.3-6, and, Gibbs, R. J. (2007) ‘Designs for the serial titles of Blackie’s and Mudie’s by Talwin Morris, Ethel Larcombe and C. R. Mackintosh’, Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, vol. 12, pp.22-26
- ^ Holme, C. (ed.) (1902) 'Modern design in jewellery and fans', London: The Studio, Available https://archive.org/details/moderndesigninje00holmuoft and Holme, C. (ed.) (1911) 'Pen, pencil and chalk', London: The Studio
- ^ Stone, W. M. (1902) 'Women designers of book-plates', New York: Randolph R. Beam, Available https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015034812563
- ^ Von Larisch, R. (1902) 'Beispiele Kunstlerischer Schrift', Vienna: Anton Scholl, Available https://archive.org/details/gri_33125008890309
- ^ Sparrow, W. H. (1905) 'Women painters of the world', London: Hodder & Stoughton, Available https://archive.org/details/womenpaintersofw00spar
- ^ Salwey, J. (1921) 'The art of drawing in lead pencil', London: B.T. Batsford, pp.205-206, 208, Available https://archive.org/details/cu31924074492475
- ^ Cope, P. & Cope, D. (2009) 'Dean's rag books and rag dolls: the products of a famous British publisher and toymaker', River Books
- ^ An example can be seen in Holme, C. (ed.) (1901) 'Modern British domestic architecture and decoration', London: The Studio, Available https://archive.org/details/modernbritishdo00holmgoog