Adelaide Easel Club
{{Short description|Adelaide art club (1882–1901)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
The Adelaide Easel Club was a society for South Australian painters which broke away from the South Australian Society of Arts in 1892 and which re-merged with the parent organization in 1901.
History
The club was founded in November 1892 when a group of Adelaide artists broke away from the Society of Arts,McCulloch, Alan Encyclopedia of Australian Art Hutchinson of London, 1968. p.505 "SINCLAIR, Alfred", inaccurately referred to as "Royal South Australian Society of Arts", elsewhere as "South Australian Society of Artists" and "South Australian Artists' Society"{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87707245 |title=About Men and Women. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=11 November 1899 |access-date=21 January 2015 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{efn|The South Australian Society of Arts succeeded the South Australian Academy of Arts,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54535305 |title=Adelaide Easel Club |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=18 September 1900 |access-date=21 January 2015 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}} another asserts that the South Australian Society of Artists was a later form of the South Australian
Academy of Arts.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36970533 |title=Adelaide Easel Club Ninth Exhibition |newspaper=The Advertiser (Adelaide) |volume=XLIII |issue=13079 |location=South Australia |date=18 September 1900 |accessdate=23 November 2023 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}}} formulating a set of rules, one of which was that members must submit a sketch at each meeting based on a subject nominated at the previous meeting, and which would be shown to fellow members.{{efn|Students at the School of Art formed the "Adelaide Sketch Club" along similar lines fifteen years earlier.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40793402 |title=Adelaide Sketch Club |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=5 July 1877 |accessdate=10 March 2015 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}}} The first subject was "Solitude".
Foundation members included "Jimmy" Ashton, Alfred Scott Broad, Edward Davies, C. Harrie Gooden, Andrew MacCormac, C. C. Presgrave,{{efn|Charles Cave Presgrave (16 December 1863 – 28 February 1897) was a clerk with the Savings Bank. He married Elsie Maude Bleechmore on 30 April 1895; they had one son, Kenneth Cave Presgrave (17 March 1896 – 1976)}} G. A. Reynolds, J. Shakespeare, "Alf" Sinclair and his brother{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90908946 |title=Out among the People |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=17 March 1932 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} "Joe" Wadham, John White, and E. J. Woods.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48737242 |title=Adelaide Easel Club |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=20 February 1893 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Half of those named were also members of H. P. Gill's Adelaide Art Circle, which folded around this time, after less than two years' existence.
Later members included Paris Nesbit, Jimmy Saddler, Oscar Fristrom, Hans Heysen, Hayley Lever, Herbert Smyrk{{efn|Smyrk was best known for his stained glass work for E. F. Troy.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97582000 |title=St. George's Church. |newspaper=The Bunyip |location=South Australia |date=6 May 1898 |access-date=13 December 2019 |page=2 |via=Trove }}}} and Marie Tuck.
Club meetings were at first generally held at the studios of Wadham & Sinclair, Colonial Mutual Building, King William Street, but occasionally at James Ashton's art school and studio in Norwood, later at their own premises, 62 Rundle Street (Fritz & Bernard's Art Palace or Fruhling's studios; later the site of the York Theatre)
The first president was W. J. Wadham, followed in 1896 by James Ashton. Secretary was C. C. Presgrave until his death in 1897, followed by J. H. Gooden.
The Adelaide Easel Club merged with the Society of Arts in 1901.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36976463 |title=Art and Federation |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=8 November 1900 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} The Chief Justice, Sir Samuel Way was closely involved with both organisations.
Exhibitions
The club held its first exhibition at the Old Exchange Building, Pirie Street in May 1893. Exhibiting artists included Wadham, Sinclair, Ashton, MacCormac,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166402324 |title=The Easel Club Exhibition |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=26 May 1893 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}} Presgrave, Maude Wholohan, Miss E. Crane, Miss Bloxam and Frank H. Bartels.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166402395 |title=The Easel Club's Exhibition |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=2 June 1893 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The 1894 Exhibition was held in the Jubilee Exhibition Building, North Terrace. Exhibitors included Wadham ("our premier artist"), Ashton, Reynolds,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166449774 |title=The Easel Club's Exhibition First Notice |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=18 May 1894 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} Bartels, Gooden, Presgrave, White, J. S. Gold, R. Büring, C. Siemer, Fred Burford and C. F. J. Crampton.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166449834 |title=The Easel Club's Exhibition |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=25 May 1894 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} In August 1894 an exhibition of oil portraits by Oscar Fristrom was mounted at the Easel Club rooms, including a portrait of well-known Adelaide personality Poltpalingada Booboorowie, aka Tommy Walker, which was bought by Sir Edwin Smith for the National Gallery of South Australia.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25734748 |title=Pictures by Herr Fristrom. |newspaper=The Advertiser (Adelaide) |date=29 August 1894 |accessdate=20 October 2020 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}
In 1895 exhibitors included Wadham, Sinclair, Ashton, Gooden, Presgrave, White, Oscar Fristrom, Miss Crane, C. Siemer, Edward Davies, Alf Scott Broad, Rose MacPherson, Miss E. Richards, Mrs Wholohan, Mrs Lermitte,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166451790 |title=The Adelaide Easel Club's Exhibition |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=14 February 1895 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}
In 1896 exhibitors included Ashton, Wadham, Sinclair, Miss J. L. Wilson, Mrs Le Freeman, Smyrk{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166456307 |title=Adelaide Easel Club |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=15 October 1896 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}
In 1897 exhibitors included Ashton, Davies, G. A. J. Webb, White "the Kent Town chemist", Jean L. Wilson, Miss Wholohan, Hans Heysen,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166956191 |title=Fair and Unfair |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=18 November 1897 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}
In 1898 exhibitors included White, Ashton, Broad, Davies, Gooden, Heysen, Sinclair, Wadham, Blanche Francis, Arthur Millbank, Jean Wilson, Mrs E. B. Bartlett, Miss Elvira von Bertouch, Miss C. Blundstone,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166444908 |title=Sassiety, Scandal, Suppositions and Statements |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=20 October 1898 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}
In 1899 exhibitors included White, Davies, Heysen, Ashton, Barnes brothers, Reg. Comley,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166449140 |title=Adelaide Easel Club |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=19 October 1899 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The last exhibition, (held 1900 in the old Institute Building, North Terrace) exhibitors included Ashton, White, Davies, Comley, Miss Jean L. Wilson, Chris Seimer, H. S. Power, Miss B. Davidson, Miss Oliphant, John Gow, Miss F. Pike, Mrs Wholohan, Miss May James, Miss Tuck, Mrs Gee, L. Beaglehole, Miss Ada Egan, Miss Benham, Miss Winnie Kelly.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36970533 |title=Adelaide Easel Club Ninth Exhibition |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=18 September 1900 |accessdate=21 January 2015 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Notes
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