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Miss Violet Banks
ARPS
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Patrick G Banks ARPS
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John Banks ARPS
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Miss
Violet Banks
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Miss Violet Banks
was a commercial portrait photographer from 1935 until
1945.
She was also a life
member of EPS from 1935 or earlier. In fact, she appears to have been
producing photographs in the 1920s.
Her
photos include
'Glass and Ebony' a print dated 20 August 1929, sold by Mawson, Swan
and Morgan of
Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne.
[Chris Pope]
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Violet Banks
Question 1
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Was
Miss Violet Banks related to John Banks?
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Comment 1
I don't yet have an answer to the question
above, but would like to thank Heather Jack for sending me the following
details about Miss Violet Banks.
Heather wrote:
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Artist and
Pottery Decorator
Some years ago I
researched Violet Banks at Register House, coming from a different
perspective, because she was an artist and pottery decorator, and I
have specialized in documenting the hand-decorators on pottery from
the 20s and 30s.
I came to the
conclusion she would be the Violet Banks who died in 1985, aged 89,
her occupation given as ‘draughtswoman (Rtd)’. If that is correct,
she would have been born in Fife, daughter of a farmer near Kinghorn,
her dates 1896-1985. At her death her address was given as 39
Corstorphine Hill Gardens, but of course she was a very old lady by
then.
She was a graphic
designer and illustrator, among other things, and I know that there is
a record of her exhibiting from an address in Kirkcaldy, so the Fife
connection may be valid. ‘Draughtswoman’ sounds a bit technical, but
I think it might be how she would have described herself in the days
before the term ‘graphic designer’ was common currency.
I knew she was a
photographer, as when I was investigating Emma Gillies – also a
pottery artist – sister of Sir William, I saw Violet Banks’ name
credited on the back of a photograph in the RSA Gillies collection.
It was a b/w photograph of William’s double portrait of his two
sisters.
Whether the other
photographers called Banks were any connection, I have no idea.
Heather Jack:
February 10, 2006 |
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Comment 2
Thank you to Heather for writing again,
clearing up the issues of Violet Banks' parentage and training by providing
the following details from
'Who's Who in Art'
for 1927:
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'Who's Who in Art' - 1927
BANKS (Miss) Violet; painter in oil and
watercolour and decorator of pottery; senior art mistress at St Oran's
School, Edinburgh; b. nr Kinghorn, 3 Mar 1896; d of James Banks. Educ
Craigmount, Edinburgh; Edinburgh College of Art (diploma). Exhbd at
RSA, SSA, RSW, SSWA, Liverpool Inst., Aberdeen, etc.
Princ works Dancer Resting, Tea in the
Studio. Recreations walking, photography and swimming. Address
Sunnyhill, Kirkcaldy, Fife, N.B. Studio The Blue Studio, Central Chas,
Kirkcaldy, Fife, N.B. Signs work “V Banks” (initial and surname joined
and the end of signature underlined).
Heather Jack:
February 10, 2006 |
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Violet Banks
Question
2
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I have been asked, by somebody trying to trace the copyright on Violet
Banks' photos, whether or not there are still any members of her family
alive.
If you know the answer to this,
please
e-mail me.
Thank you. - Peter Stubbs:
August 19, 2007
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PG
Banks
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Question
Who
was PG Banks? I have found no such entry in the trade directories, but
have seen two cabinet prints bearing his name. One gave an address of
13 Meadowbank Crescent; the other, Piershill. |
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Answer
The 1901 census shows Patrick Banks at East Lodge, Parsons Green Terrace and
this seemed to serve as home and studio.
The house was demolished and replaced by a tenement block (No.36 Parsons
Green Terrace) with shops below.
[Thanks to
Archie Foley
for the details above.] |
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John
Banks
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John
Banks
gave an illustrated lecture to EPS 1907:
‘The Photographing of Children’.
He was a Life Member of EPS from 1935 or earlier.
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