Phyllis F. Clarke papers and pictorial material, [ca. 1886]-1933

PXE 1068

fonds

[ca. 1886]-1933

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Drawings, Ephemera, Photographs

954567

44 drawings - various sizes
19 photographs - gelatin silver - various sizes
2 items of ephemera - postcards
0.37 metres of mostly textual material (1 box)

Phyllis Flockton Clarke (1891-1989), an artist, was born at Charters Tower in Queensland on 18 January 1891, the daughter of Arthur Walter Clarke, an assayer, and Isabel Phoebe (nee Flockton), an artist. She was the niece of Margaret Flockton (1861-1953), an artist at the Royal Botanic Gardens and National Herbarium in Sydney from 1901 to 1927.

At age 19 Phyllis Flockton Clarke applied for and won a position at the Australian Museum, Sydney, where she worked as an artist and illustrator. She was also well known for her illustrations of mushrooms. She was commissioned by Sir John Burton Cleland to provide paintings of mushrooms and fungi while he worked in Sydney as the Principal Government Microbiologist in the Central Bureau of Health. These drawings were used in papers he published between 1914 and 1923, and in his book 'Toadstools and Mushrooms and Other Larger Fungi of South Australia'. She was also commissioned to provide paintings of mushrooms for Royal Worcester porcelain.

In 1923 she married Dr David Shepherd North, a scientist at the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. They had three daughters. She died in 1989.

References:
Grgurinovic, C. and Dowe, R., ‘Australian mushrooms on hand painted Royal Worcester porcelain’, Australasian Mycologist 19 (3), 2000, pp. 84-90
Library correspondence file

BOX 1
Personal papers, 1886-1923, including marriage certificate (1886) of Arthur Walter Clarke to Isabel Phoebe Flockton; birth and baptism certificates (1891); marriage certificate (1923); and Royal Academy of Music & Royal College of Music pianoforte examination results (1900-1908).

Letters (4) received from Julian Ashton, 1920-1933, regarding his work and health, and an exhibition by former students of the Sydney Art School.

Letters (3) received from Charles Hedley, 1923-1924, regarding his resignation from the Australian Museum, and appointment as director of scientific work of the Great Barrier Reef Committee.

Letters (4), 1901, 1923, and n.d., including letter to Mrs [Isabel] Clarke regarding her daughter's piano playing, and letter of appreciation in French annotated by Charles Hedley.

Concert program featuring Miss Phyllis Clarke and Miss Dorothy Harris (pupils of Miss Margaret Edson), 1913.

Prospectus for Miss Margaret Edson, pianiste and teacher of pianoforte, [ca. 1916], including curriculum vitae and fees. Annotated in ink and pencil.

Notebook, [ca. 1913-1923], including list of butterflies, plants, and birds, titled ‘W. A. Flavelle Esq.’; clippings; list of commissions and sales; and list of housekeeping expenses and wedding cheques.

Printed papers (4) from Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria and Australian Zoologist, 1912-1925

Drawings (47), printed, of insects, flowers, plants, shells, and molluscs. Includes plates from 'Australian Antarctic Expedition', Series C, Vol. IV.

Autograph book, [ca. 1909-1912], inscribed on first page ‘Phyllis Flockton Clarke / “Croylands” / Calliope St / Mosman’. Includes ink and watercolour drawings by E. A. King, Allan R. McCulloch, M. May Smith, George A. Brown, D. B. Fry, Dora Jarret, I. M. Flockton, and Olive Wilkins; and signatures from “Leona” Party, Manly.


BOX 2
Photographs (19), ca. 1894-1924, mainly of Phyllis Flockton Clarke, but also including Hal Clarke as a child, Phoebe Clarke, David North, Helen North as a baby, and Phyllis F. Clarke painting casts of natives at Australian Museum.

Postcards (2) received by Phyllis F. Clarke.

Watercolours, ink drawings, and pencil sketches (36) including birds, bones, views, portraits, still lifes, some signed 'Phyllis F. Clarke' and 'P. F. North'.

Ink and watercolour dawings (2) 'A quiet game at nap' by W. G. Baxter, 1904, signed 'P. Clarke'

Watercolour views (6) signed 'F. Flockton' [possibly Francis Flockton], one annotated verso in pencil with Flockton family tree.

Out of copyright: Created before 1955 (applies to photographs)
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Copyright status:: In copyright - Life of artist plus 70 years (applies to artistic works)
Copyright holder:: Phyllis Flockton North's assignee
Approval for reproduction required:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

Dated from collection