A Memorial to Emily Jane Morley

I think I have neglected this entry for long enough and it's about time that I start putting more of my work out there for people to read (if they wish).

One of the long serving members of staff at BSA was the needlework teacher, Emily Jane Morley. Morley was born on 27 November 1860, and her family home was in Rokeby Road in Brockley.[1] She appears as the needlework teacher in the BSA adverts in the Woolwich Gazette, offering classes on Tuesday mornings between 10.30am and 12.30pm and Thursday afternoons from 3pm to 4.30pm.[2]

Unfortunately I am yet to find an example of her work although judging from the reports of student works she was a highly respected teacher. Examples of comments over the year include the following:

1914 - ‘Arranged in the upper studio of the new wing may be seen numerous exquisite pieces of Art Needlework done by the pupils of Miss E.J. Morley.’[3]

1921 – ‘In the needlework section, where the quality of work has always been excellent…’[4]

1923 – 6 October 1923 – students’ exhibition review

The 1921 prospectus described Art Needlework classes as follows (it was at this time a subject studied only by women) –

‘Students are taught the various Stitches etc., which belong to Embroidery, Drawn Thread and Lace Work, also the application to various articles of daily use and ladies’ apparel’.[5]

Morley lived at 11 Lee Park, very close to BSA, with her assistant and companion Lilian Booth. Emily Morley died on 10 June 1925 and whilst I have not yet found any illustrations of her works there is still a memorial in Blackheath that relates to her. Morley’s funeral was held on Monday 15 June 1925 at St Michael and All Angels in Blackheath and the internment at Nunhead Cemetery.[6] One of the principal mourners was her companion and assistant Lilian Booth. Morley was a very highly regarded member of the teaching staff at BSA, the school was closed on the day of her funeral as a measure of respect.[7] The principal, John Howard Hale, the secretary EP Lewis and the registrar Mrs Dowling represented the school as well as many students of BSA both past and present. The principal and committee of BSA presented a wreath in the ‘form of a chaplet’ and her colleagues and students presented a wreath in the form of a palette.[8]

Memorial to Emily Jane Morley carved by BSA students, St Michael's, Blackheath.
Source: Thanks to St Michael's Blackheath for allowing me to photograph and publish this image.

The memorial to her was to be unveiled on 16 June 1927 at 6pm in St Michael’s, Blackheath.[9] This wood carved epitaph was created by students at BSA. Woodworking students were taught by Mr F Parrott. From the descriptions provided in the contemporary prospectuses I believe that the students who produced the beautifully carved memorial were studying under Parrott as the lettering classes do not refer to the use of carving as part of the students’ learning.

I hope at some point to discover some needlework made by Morley but until then this memorial remains a tangible memory of her work at BSA.

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[1] She was baptised on 23 December 1860, and the family home was at 13 Rokeby Road, Brockley and her father Alfred was a stationer.

[2] ‘Government School of Art’, in Woolwich Gazette, Fri 10 Jun 1898, p. 4 and Fri 16 Mar 1900, p. 4.

[3] ‘Blackheath School of Art: Exhibition of Students’ Works’ in Blackheath Local Guide, 26 September 1914, p. 8.

[4] ‘Blackheath School of Art: Student Exhibition’ in Blackheath Local Guide, 21 October 1921, p. 37.

[5] Blackheath, Lee, Lewisham & Greenwich School of Arts and Crafts Prospectus, 1920 – 1921, p. 14. Morley taught classes during the day Tue 10am to 1pm and 2.30pm to 4.30pm, Thu 2.30pm to 4.30pm and Fri 10.30am to 12.30pm, and in the evening Mon 6.30pm to 8.30pm and Tues to Thu 7pm to 9pm.

[6] ‘Funeral of Miss Morley’, in Blackheath Local Guide, 25 June, p. 36.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Loc. cit. pp. 36 & 37.

[9] ‘St Michael’s, Blackheath Park’, in Blackheath Local Guide, 11 Jun 1927, p. 6. The unveiling was in conjunction with a day dedicated to missionary work in China undertaken by members of the congregation.

Would you have these two over to dinner?

 

Humour and wit in the art of Alfred de Sauty…

Alfred de Sauty, Coming Over, early 1930's.

I recently acquired this print by Alfred de Sauty entitled ‘Coming Over’ and it reminded me that I had been meaning to write a piece about his humorous side.

 These two are obviously on the way over to a neighbour’s house for dinner. Are they providing the food or is the way so treacherous that they need a gun to ensure that they make it there safely!? Either way it’s a witty comment on the nature of community in the wilds of the US. The print is dedicated to ‘Mr and Mrs RP Brown from A De Sauty’ – could the couple perhaps have inspired De Sauty? I guess it may never be possible to discover this, although it is fun to speculate.

 

Alfred de Sauty, The Proposal, 1930's.

Alfred de Sauty, Matrimony, 1930's.

Alfred de Sauty, Divorce, 1930's

Alfred de Sauty, The Proposal, Matrimony and Divorce, 1930's.

During lockdown I was emailed these three intriguing images which join to form a series. It’s s satirical comment on the nature of business deals. It may well relate to the cut throat nature of the way of doing business, a kind of brashness that De Sauty would not have experienced first-hand before he went to Chicago in Autumn 1923. I would date this work from the early to the mid-1920’s, not long after he moved across the Atlantic. It matches the style of works he produced whilst still in the UK.

De Sauty produced three prints entitled The Proposal, Matrimony and Divorce, and have only just got back to looking at them (where does the time go?). These three works are related to business deals in America under 'marriage' related titles. Looking closely at 'Divorce' the money sacks have $ signs on them which confirms to me it is most likely a comment on business deals in America.

 

Alfred de Sauty, Floreat Chicago, 1935 or earlier, Smithsonian Museum.

They are quite similar in style to his brilliant depictions of the growing metropolis of Chicago which date to the mid 1930’s – about 10 years after his arrival in the US.

Could the businessman be a self-portrait (or a portrait of someone in particular)? The figure holding the gun (a man in a woman's dress) might be representative of a forced marriage / business deal at gunpoint. The businessman appears to be giving up everything to get the deal (even though he is at gun point). Of course, the woman isn't what she seems to be for the rather unusual gunpoint proposal and is depicted wearing high heels as part of the deceit. In the other two (Matrimony and Divorce) he / she is now wearing boots; perhaps revealing their true character.

The businessman is chained to the man / woman holding his goods (designs?) under his arm in Matrimony. Once the sinister the figure has got what they wanted (bags of dollars) they then divorce / break the deal with the businessman by kicking him away.

This could well be a comment on him finishing work at RR Donnelly & Sons (Lakeside Press) in Chicago but cannot be sure as there is very little known about De Sauty's personal life.

 

 

Rockwell Kent & Alfred de Sauty, De Sauty's Bad Dream, My Yours be Better, 1931.
More can be found about it through Underhill Books - here

De Sauty also worked closely with Rockwell Kent - and there is a piece signed by both De Sauty and Kent which makes me think that he had a rather wicked sense of humour (see above). Kent illustrated Moby Dick and De Sauty worked with Kent at the Lakeside Press binding his illustrated books (esp. N by E in 1930). The drawing shows various characters riding on and attacking Moby Dick and is a new year’s wish for the year ending 1930 and beginning 1931. Are the characters on the whale a part of De Sauty’s nightmare? ‘The piece is inscribed ‘De Sauty’s Bad Dream May Yours be better in 1931.’

Certainly, the seemingly brash world of American business deals and contracts at this time must have been something completely different to De Sauty's experiences in London. It must have affected him and inspired these fantastic images.