Artist - Reginald P Phillimore

Artists

Reginald P Phillimore
(1855-1941)

Artist from Lancashire

RP Phillimore (full name Reginald Phillimore Phillimore) was born near Manchester on 23 December 1855. He died one day after his 86th birthday. He worked initially as a teacher in Lancashire, maintaining his interest in painting.

He was an oil and watercolour artist, producing his first work in 1873. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. He was also an etcher with a keen interest in history, and author of guide books.

Moved to North Berwick

However, a change of lifestyle occurred In 1894. He was left a house in North Berwick, on the Firth of Forth to the east of Edinburgh, by his Scottish aunts. He set up his studio there.

Postcards

With the rise in popularity of the picture postcard from the 1890s onwards, he turned his hand to these and produced almost 700 different cards (or many more if variations are included).

His postcards had a distinctive appearance. They often included historical notes and small sketches on both the front and the back, as well as the main subject. They were printed in black and white on sepia. Some including delicate hand-colouring, done for him by a 14 year old girl from North Berwick.

RP Phillimore produced some postcards of cathedrals, castles and villages in England, but most of his views were of Scotland - particularly scenes of old Edinburgh and of the Firth of Forth at the Bass Rock, close to his North Berwick studio.

He produced the postcards himself, selling them for 1/2d each. He used at least 15 different publishers. Many were printed in Berlin by the phototype or collotype process.

Most of the details above are taken from: The work of Reginald P Phillimore in old picture postcards (Introduction)

Lived to age 86

RP Phillimore died at 7 Melbourne Road, North Berwick, aged 86, on 24 December 1941.

The death certificate reports that his parents (both deceased) were:

- Father: William Phillimore Phillimore, formerly Stiff, medical practitioner

- Mother: Mary Elizabeth Phillimore Phillimore m.s.

The Phillimore Name

The name chance mentioned above explains why members of the Phillimore family had two Phillimores in their names. They presumably had Phillimore as a 'middle name' when Reginald's father decided that the surname should be changed from Still to Phillimore.

With acknowledgement to DE Beets of Letchworth, England for details of the death certificate above [Registration District 713 North Berwick, Entry No 51] . These details appear in DE Beets' notes on RP Phillimore's postcards.