Sehcteks [i.e. sketches] / Syd Smith

PXA 7686

fonds

1904

Graphic Materials, Drawings

9668425

1 sketchbook (16 drawings) - pen and ink with hand colouring - 11 x 16 cm

Sydney Ure Smith was born in Stoke Newington, England on 9 January 1887 and came to Australia within a year of his birth. Between 1902 and 1907, he studied at the Julian Ashton Art School and in 1907, he became a member of the Society of Artists and served as its president from 1921 to 1948. In 1906, he co-founded the Smith & Julius Commercial Art Studios in Sydney with cartoonist Harry Julius, and in 1939, he founded Ure Smith Pty. Ltd. which published over 130 items and 6 periodicals. He died in Sydney on 11 October 1949.

Source:
Design & Art Australia Online. "Sydney Ure Smith". Accessed 20 October 2023. https://www.daao.org.au/bio/sydney-ure-smith/biography/

By descent to a relative of Julian Ashton through his second wife, Constance Irene Morley.

A bound booklet of pen and ink illustrations titled 'Sehcteks' (an anagram of the word 'sketches') created by Sydney Ure Smith as a birthday gift for his art teacher, Julian Ashton in 1904. The drawings, which are all humorously captioned, include candid portraits of unnamed persons, a streetscape of Macquarie Street, Sydney and a cliff jump in Wanganui, New Zealand.

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

The cover is titled "Sehcteks . . . by Syd Smith". The inside title page is inscribed "'Sehcteks' to wish you a happy birthday 1904". The second page is inscribed "To the finest and best man I know . . . Mr Julian Ashton". The final page is inscribed "Sorry that these sketches are no better... but only had half-a-day to do the whole book. Yours ever . . . " and signed "Syd Smith".