Rosemary Ellis née Collinson (1910–1998) was a British artist, graphic designer and teacher known for her poster and book jacket designs.
Rosemary Ellis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rosemary Collinson 1910 London, England |
| Died | 1998 (aged 87–88) |
| Alma mater | Regent Street Polytechnic |
| Known for | Painting, graphic design |
| Spouse(s) | Clifford Ellis, m.1931–1985, his death |
Biography
editEllis was born in London and from 1927 to 1931 attended the art school of the Regent Street Polytechnic in central London.[1] At art school she met her husband, Clifford Ellis, the couple married in 1931 and would frequently collaborate on art projects together.[1][2] During the 1930s they produced more than twenty posters for London Transport, often using surrealist motifs, such as in the 1937 poster Travels in time on your doorstep.[3] They also designed posters for the General Post Office, BP, the Empire Marketing Board plus a series of 16 lithographs for J Lyons & Co restaurants.[4] Starting in 1934 they designed the 'Professions' series of posters for Shell-Mex & BP including, for example, Anglers Prefer Shell.[2][5] They also worked together on book jackets, murals and mosaics, signing their work with the monogram C&RE to reflect their joint and equal involvement.[6][3]
From 1938 onwards, Rosemary Ellis taught art at the Royal School for Daughters of Officers of the Army in Bath while Clifford Ellis held a succession of posts at the Bath Academy of Art, where Rosemary would also teach a variety of subjects.[1] During World War Two, Rosemary worked for the Recording Britain project, depicting architectural scenes in Bath.[2] In 1946 the Ellises designed the entrance and a mural to the Britain Can Make It exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum.[1] Between 1945 and 1982 they designed a total of 86 covers and dust jackets for the New Naturalist series of books and monographs published by Collins.[5]
The British Museum, the London Transport Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum hold examples of Ellis' designs.[7][8] The Victoria Art Gallery and Bath Record Office hold archives of Ellis' papers and designs.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d David Buckman (2006). Artists in Britain Since 1945 Vol 1, A to L. Art Dictionaries Ltd. ISBN 0 953260 95 X.
- ^ a b c "Votes for Women - Rosemary Ellis". National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ a b David Bownes (2018). Poster Girls. London Transport Museum. ISBN 978 1 871829 28 0.
- ^ Gill Saunders, ed. (2011). Recording Britain. V&A Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85177-661-0.
- ^ a b Alan Horne (1994). The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators. Antique Collectors' Club. ISBN 1 85149 1082.
- ^ Martin Salisbury (2017). The Illustrated Dust Jacket. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 9780500519134.
- ^ "Rosemary Ellis". British Museum. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "Search the Collection: Rosemary Ellis". Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Tim Bernhard (2018). "Clifford and Rosemary Ellis Iconic Nature and Travel Designers". New Naturalist. Retrieved 19 August 2020.