Ure Smith archive relating to Sydney and Sam Ure Smith

fonds

1879-2002

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Drawings, Objects, Prints

9675623

6.26 metres of textual material (25 boxes and 5 outsize boxes)
156 Drawings
123 Photographic prints
31 Prints
11 Printing plates
4 Lithographs
3 woodcuts
2 Paint containers
1 Seal
1 Rubber Stamp

Sydney Ure Smith (1887–1949) was a publisher and artist. While still at school he produced the broadsheets ‘The Kat’ (1901-1902) and ‘Australia Kat’ (1902-1903). He studied art under Julian Ashton at the Sydney Art School and, in 1906 with cartoonist Harry Julius, established the printing firm Smith and Julius. In 1916, Ure Smith, Bertram Stevens and Charles Lloyd Jones launched ‘Art in Australia’, a heavily illustrated periodical with its stated aim ‘to make the work of Australian artists better known to the Australian public’. Later he published ‘Home’ magazine, ultimately selling the publications to John Fairfax & Sons Ltd. He was President of the Society of Artists, Sydney from 1920-1948 and in 1939 he established Ure Smith Pty Limited.

Sam Ure Smith (1922-2014) was the son of Sydney and Dorothy Ure Smith. He joined the 30th Battalion, New South Wales Scottish Regiment in 1939, later serving in New Guinea. In 1946 he joined his father at Ure Smith, and in 1949 after the death of his father took over the company. He had great success with the publication of ‘They’re a Weird Mob’ by Nino Culotta (John O’Grady) in 1949 and rebooted ‘Art in Australia’ which had ceased publication in 1942, with a new publication ‘Art and Australia’ in 1963. In 1976 he established Fine Arts Press to concentrate of fine arts publishing, producing many books. He was active in publishing editions for people and places close to his heart such as Knox Grammar and the 30th Battalion Association, and in 2011 he was awarded the Order of Australia medal.

Source: From the collection, ADB

Series 1: contains correspondence to Sydney and Sam Ure Smith
Series 2: contains business and personal papers relating to Ure Smith Pty Limited
Series 3: contains business and personal papers relating to Fine Arts Press
Series 4: contains published and unpublished manuscripts submitted to Fine Arts Press
Series 5: contains Sam Ure Smith diaries and notebooks, 1965-2001
Series 6: contains photographs, sketches, prints and drawings
Series 7: contains Realia including woodblocks and printing plates
Series 8: contains scrapbooks
Series 9: contains Negatives and transparencies