Esmond George
Robert Esmond George (20 April 1888 – 1959) was an Australian theatre actor and director, but mostly remembered as a watercolor artist and art critic. His wife, professionally known as Elizabeth George, was a well-known journalist.
History
Esmond George was born in
George was educated at the
He was associated with the Adelaide Repertory Theatre from 1915 or earlier, initially as an actor and later as stage director. He also appeared in several productions by the Lyric Club at the Chamber of Manufactures Building,
He enlisted with the
He worked for a time as a secretary for the
He developed an interest in poster art, at which his partner Annie was highly proficient. Annie died in 1920 and Esmond remarried six years later. He had several one-man exhibitions of his watercolor paintings and black-and-white illustrations,
He was an adherent of
His second wife Elisabeth was a highly regarded journalist with
In 1936 he was appointed to Perth's
In late 1939 or early 1940 he joined the
He returned to Adelaide and journalism, and for the next twenty-odd years had weekly by-lined articles in the Sunday Mail, notable for their easy unpretentious style and positive outlook, even for non-representational work, though he had little time for what he called "puzzle pictures".[24] He mounted several one-man shows of his own.[25][26][27][28][29] He was a regular and popular volunteer guide and lecturer at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Theatre
George acted in a large number of plays with the Adelaide Repertory Theatre company (notably as Eilert Lövborg in Hedda Gabler), and directed (A.R.T. except where noted) the following:
- 18 July 1925 You Never Can Tell (G. B. Shaw) at Victoria Hall, Adelaide
- 10 July 1926 Getting Married (G. B. Shaw) at Victoria Hall, Adelaide
- 19 May 1928 Granite (Clemence Dane) at Victoria Hall, Adelaide
- 1 June 1929 Gold (Eugene O'Neill) at Victoria Hall, Adelaide. George read the lead part on account of Basil Harford's sudden illness.[30]
- 24 May 1930 The Touch of Silk (Betty M. Davis) at Australia Theatre, Adelaide
- 18 July 1931 Many Waters (Monckton Hoffe) at Australia Theatre, Angas Street, Adelaide
- 19 March 1932 Lochinvar (Elder Conservatoriumopera class at Theatre Royal, Adelaide
- 21 May 1932 Michael and Mary (A. A. Milne) at Australia Theatre, Adelaide
- 1 April 1933 Pygmalion (G. B. Shaw) at Australia Theatre, Adelaide
- (E. George was away in England studying painting 1934–1935)
- 25 April 1936 Candida (G. B. Shaw) at Stow Hall, Flinders Street, Adelaide
- 15 February 1936 The Late Christopher Bean (René Fauchois) at Stow Hall, Adelaide
- 19 August 1936 A Man's House (John Drinkwater) at Stow Hall, Adelaide
Around this time he founded his own "Esmond George Players" then was appointed director with Perth Repertory Club, and was associated with:
- 9 December 1936 Lovers Leap (Philip Johnson)
- 10 March 1937 Anthony and Anna (St John Ervine) He also painted the scenery.
- 14 April 1937 The Touch of Silk (Betty M. Davis)
- 9 June 1937 As You Desire Me (Pirandello)
- 10 December 1937 Granite (Clemence Dane)
He served as stage manager for other productions, notably The Infernal Machine (Jean Cocteau) in July 1937, and as secretary to the West Australian Drama Festival in 1937.
Family
Esmond Robert George married Annie Robina "Nance" Jones ( – 17 July 1920) in September 1916,[3] and had a home in Blackwood. They had one daughter:
- Helen Hamilton George (23 August 1918 – c. 2012), a ballet enthusiast who served as a WAAF in World War II. She was noted for her impressionistic sketches of dancers, and was the subject of a William Dargie portrait.[31]
In 1926 he married again, to Elisabeth Mildred "Bessie" Baker ( – 9 May 1953), a journalist with The Advertiser. They had a home "Dinton", at Fife Avenue, Torrens Park. They had no further children.
References
- Evening Journal. Vol. XXIV, no. 6782. Adelaide. 27 June 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Register. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 20, 825. Adelaide. 9 August 1913. p. 6. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Sunday Times (Perth). No. 978. Western Australia. 1 October 1916. p. 6. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Express and Telegraph. Vol. LVII, no. 17, 086. South Australia. 19 July 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ The Times and Northern Advertiser, Peterborough, South Australia. 25 September 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "W.E.A. Little Theatre". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 9 May 1932. p. 11. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "First World War Embarkation Rolls: Esmond Robert George". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^ "World War 1 Pictorial Honour Roll of South Australians". Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record. Vol. 29, no. 37. South Australia. 29 September 1922. p. 15. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Watercolors and Drawings". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 5 June 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "United Arts Club". The News. Vol. XV, no. 2, 266. Adelaide. 21 October 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Chronicle. Vol. LXXIII, no. 3, 875. Adelaide. 12 March 1931. p. 54. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Mail. Vol. 22, no. 1, 135. Adelaide. 24 February 1934. p. 11. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Register. Vol. LXXXVIII, no. 25, 761. Adelaide. 21 July 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Register News-Pictorial. Vol. XCIV, no. 27, 500. South Australia. 4 October 1929. p. 29. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Farewell To Adelaide Journalist". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 10 April 1937. p. 27. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Wilderness School Diamond Jubilee". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 7 October 1946. p. 10. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Tributes To Elizabeth George". The Advertiser. Vol. 95, no. 29, 509. Adelaide. 12 May 1953. p. 11. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Women's news and Views". The Advertiser. Vol. LXXX, no. 24718. Adelaide. 28 December 1937. p. 7. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Presumably as a war artist, though definite information is yet to be found. His writings almost entirely avoid military matters.
- ^ "Wide-Eyed in Gaza". The West Australian. Vol. 57, no. 17, 017. Western Australia. 18 January 1941. p. 7. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Building a New Jerusalem... Strange Sights in Palestine". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 2 November 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Out Among the People". The Advertiser. Vol. LXXXV, no. 26319. Adelaide. 11 February 1943. p. 4. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Mail. Vol. 42, no. 2, 088. Adelaide. 14 June 1952. p. 42. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Water Colors By Esmond George". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 16 November 1944. p. 5. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Esmond George Adds to Technical Range". The News. Vol. 47, no. 7, 275. Adelaide. 26 November 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Mail. Vol. 36, no. 1, 847. Adelaide. 18 October 1947. p. 8. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia. includes a portrait of the artist.
- ^ "Delicate tinting in Esmond George's show". The News. Vol. 51, no. 7, 817. Adelaide. 24 August 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Ivor Francis (6 March 1951). "Display of Esmond George art". The News. Vol. 56, no. 8, 604. Adelaide. p. 6. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Repertory Production". The News. Vol. XII, no. 1, 835. Adelaide. 3 June 1929. p. 7. Retrieved 24 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Portrait". The News. Vol. 48, no. 7, 414. Adelaide. 9 May 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 25 February 2017 – via National Library of Australia.