George Biles
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George Biles (1 July 1900 – 7 December 1987) was a British sign painter and lettering artist who worked in Bridport, Dorset, in South West England.{{cite web |title=George Biles – King of Signwriters Project |date=31 May 2023 |url=https://www.bridport-tc.gov.uk/2023/05/31/bridport-town-council-george-biles-king-of-signwriters-project/ |publisher=Bridport Town Council |access-date=21 August 2024}}{{cite news |title=Retrospective for Master Sign Painter – the remarkable talents of Bridport's George Biles |url=https://www.marshwoodvale.com/articles/2024/07/retrospective-for-master-sign-painter-the-remarkable-talents-of-bridports-george-biles/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |work=The Marshwood Vale Magazine |date=August 2024}} Biles ran a signpainting business in Bridport from 1924 to a few days before his death aged 87, and painted a large number of pub signs, murals, theatre backcloths, charters and other work.{{cite news |title=The Art of the Modern Signwriter |work=Town and Country News |date=8 July 1932}}{{cite book |title=Bridport Royal Charter Pageant Souvenir Programme |date=1953}}
Painted signs are a long-standing tradition of British pubs, but whereas most pub sign painters are poorly documented or anonymous, Biles' work received considerable attention by the end of his very long career, with a profile on television news,{{cite web |title=A treat from the archives: a short film about George Biles, who painted Palmers Brewery's distinctive pub signs for most of the 20th century |url=https://www.facebook.com/PalmersBrewery/videos/george-biles-the-king-of-pub-sign-painters/725348567529652/ |website=Facebook |publisher=Palmers Brewery |access-date=21 August 2024}} in a book on pubs and in German media.{{cite news |title=George, 81, paints a special greeting |work=Dorset Evening Echo |date=2 October 1981}}{{cite news |last1=Rüdenauer |first1=Christa B. |last2=Chittock |first2=Brian |title=Über englischen Wirtshaustüren Stopp-Schilder |work=IWZ: Illustrierte Wochenzeitung |issue=4 |date=26 January 1980 |pages=8–10}}{{cite book |last1=Whipple |first1=Andy |last2=Anderson |first2=Rob |title=The English Pub |date=1985 |pages=66–68}}{{cite news |title=Schilder erzählen Geschichten |work=Micky Maus Magazin |date=22 June 1974 |pages=16–17}}{{cite news |title=Switzerland assignment for George |work=Bridport and Lyme Regis News |date=9 January 1987 |page=14}} After his death, one of his main clients, the Bridport brewery Palmers, preserved 65 of his signs in storage and his friend and fellow signpainter Ken Allen saved the contents of his studio, meaning that his career is well documented.Displays from 2024 exhibition, curated by Jemma Thompson{{cite news |title=Do you remember: Relive the history of Bridport and Lyme Regis |url=https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/14027460.do-you-remember-relive-the-history-of-bridport-and-lyme-regis-and-other-west-dorset-villages-with-special-cinema-screenings/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |work=Bridport News}}
Life and career
Born Frederick George Allison Biles, Biles grew up in Allington, Dorset and began an apprenticeship to a local sign writer aged 14 before setting up his own business, first called Cast and Biles and later Signs Service Studios, in East Street, Bridport.{{cite web |title=A history of Bridport hospitality |url=http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2006/11/a-history-of-bridport-hospitality/ |website=The Dorset Magazine |access-date=21 August 2024}} He preferred to paint on marine plywood. He conducted research into historically appropriate details and clothing for his signs, such as finding an old photograph of a monument before it was moved. Whipple and Anderson, who profiled him in a book on pubs, commented that he used "a delicate, subdued style...his signs often contain subtle ocean blues and carefully executed grey or cloudy skies". When painting a two-sided pub sign he painted a different design on each side. Also surviving from his work are theatre wall murals in the Bridport Electric Palace theatre {{cite web |title=About |url=https://www.electricpalace.org.uk/about/ |publisher=Electric Palace Theatre, Bridport |access-date=21 August 2024}} and backcloths for local theatre and pantomime performances.{{cite web |title=Palace |url=https://database.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/549-palace-bridport |publisher=Theatres Trust |access-date=21 August 2024}}{{cite news |title=Show scenery needs a new home |url=https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/5389902.show-scenery-needs-a-new-home/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |work=Dorset Echo}} A 1932 profile covering his Electric Palace murals commented that he used "pastoral scenes painted in pastel shades". By the end of his career he was nicknamed "The Professor".
As Biles and his wife Hilda May Kirk (m. 1926) did not have children and Hilda predeceased him, his studio contents were assigned by his executors to friend Ken Allen after his death, who preserved them. One of his main clients, Palmers Brewery, preserved many of his signs done for its pubs, such as when pubs closed. A first full exhibition on Biles' work took place in Bridport Arts Centre, Bridport Museum and other local venues in August 2024.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Andy |title=Bridport town sign painter George Biles exhibition |url=https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/24382821.bridport-town-sign-painter-giles-biles-exhibition/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |work=Bridport & Lyme Regis News |date=16 June 2024}}{{cite web |title=George Biles: King of Signwriters Exhibition |url=https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/george-biles-king-of-signwriters-exhibition/ |publisher=Bridport Arts Centre |access-date=21 August 2024}} The exhibition was curated by painter Jemma Thompson, who studied with one of Biles' apprentices.{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Jemma |title=Another amazing week at the George Biles King of Signwriter's Exhibition |url=https://www.instagram.com/jemmatsigns/p/C_D_S4GtvYG/ |website=Instagram |publisher=Jemma Thompson Artist Signwriter |access-date=21 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=Love Letters |url=https://bridportradio.co.uk/arts-crafts/love-letters/ |publisher=Bridport Radio |access-date=21 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=60 second interview: Jemma Thompson |url=https://viewfromonline.blogspot.com/2013/07/60-second-interview-jemma-thompson.html |website=View From Online |date=10 July 2013 |access-date=21 August 2024}}
References
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