Drawings by FISH - Anne Harriet Fish (Sefton) - at the Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health

This has nothing to do with menstruation, but I want to show you an artist I discovered while rummaging through the Library of Congress, here in Washington, D.C.

Above is part of the cover (actually in color) of the American magazine Vanity Fair, April 1917.

The artist who signed her drawings as FISH, a woman, painted it, and I think she is one of the great American artist/illustrators. I have loved and read much about American illustration (I'm an artist/illustrator myself), but I know of her only by researching ads at the Library of Congress.

A Canadian site visitor wrote me in 2000 and finally solved her identity: she's apparently Anne Harriet Fish (Sefton), 1890-1964,

and there is a bit about her, plus some of her drawings for sale, at

http://askart.com/ [then enter FISH into the "last name" box] and http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/swannquery.html#Creator

In September 2000 I received the following letter about FISH:

Hi, Harry:

I am a collector of Fulper art pottery, made in Flemington, NJ from 1909 to about 1935. I am in the midst of writing one book on Fulper, and have ideas for a second.

Around the time of the First World War porcelain doll heads were no longer available from Germany, and so Fulper, among others, made some. This was a new clay body for them; the regular line of pottery was made from stoneware clay.

After the war, the market for the Fulper heads dried up, but Fulper still had the know-how for porcelain production. So, they introduced a line of ceramic novelties made from porcelain which don't even vaguely resemble their art ware line.

Among others, they hired Anne Harriet Fish (Sefton) to do some design work for them. As you can see from the attached photos, if you like her drawings, you will like her figurals [I disagree; read and see why]. I would estimate that these items were produced around 1921-1925. They sell in the low hundreds of dollar now.

I think that's about all I know on this subject.

Don

He later sent some biographical information a librarian helped him with:

Anne Harriet Fish (Sefton)

Anna Harriet Sefton

was born in Bristol, England

1880-1942

1890-1964

She worked in oil, watercolor and was an illustrator who was active in London, Sussex and St. Ives, Cornwall. She married Walter Sefton in 1918. She did illustrations for Vanity Fair and later Vogue around 1920. She did the cover for Vanity Fair in April, 1917.

As you can see sources don't agree on her first name, nor her birth and death dates (I believe the latter pair look more reasonable). If you find out anything more about her, would you let me know of your discovery, please. Send to donh@localnet.com

Then in 2003 I received another letter about the artist:

Hi!

I was interested to find some drawings by FISH in your Web site. I am at the Lander Gallery in Truro, Cornwall, England. The gallery specialises in work with a Cornish connection.

You may be interested in the image I attach [lower picture, above]. It is signed by FISH, and it says ST IVES. It has a strong Art Deco feel.

FISH was her maiden name, which she kept using in her art after she married Walter Sefton, an Irish linen manufacturer who died in 1952.

I do not have her birth date, but she died in 1964. I know she was at the St Ives Society of Artists from 1952-1964.

You have biographical detail sent to you already. I would add that she worked for The Tatler in the 1920s and 1930s. Cornelius Veth said she was one of the most important social satirists of the day. He wrote that she depicted modern boldness, using its own weapons to attack it with cynical understanding.

"Awful Weekends and Guests" was published in 1938.

She had a picture at the Royal Academy.

She was a tall, upright woman full of vitality and humour. In her later years she painted amusing pictures of cats which raised money for cat charities. [Whoa! Cat charities! See part of the MUM feline team.]

My material comes from "Creating a Splash," by DAVID TOVEY, an excellent book about St Ives artists.

I hope you will like the attached image. It resembles a work by another Deco artist called Charles Meere. It is in the Lander Gallery summer exhibition and may be found on our Web site, www.landergallery.co.uk

Best wishes

Viv Hendra (Mr.)

The drawings are cutesy, I know, but they are full of good humor and are sometimes cutting; actually, no one comes out very well.

Does anyone know more about her??

More drawings by FISH
(drawing 2, 3, figurine)

See drawings by the father of modern American medical illustration, Max Brödel, of Johns Hopkins.

© 1998 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org

This has nothing to do with menstruation, but I want to show you an artist I discovered while rummaging through the Library of Congress, here in Washington, D.C.

Above is part of the cover (actually in color) of the American magazine Vanity Fair, April 1917.

The artist who signed her drawings as FISH, a woman, painted it, and I think she is one of the great American artist/illustrators. I have loved and read much about American illustration (I'm an artist/illustrator myself), but I know of her only by researching ads at the Library of Congress.

A Canadian site visitor wrote me in 2000 and finally solved her identity: she's apparently Anne Harriet Fish (Sefton), 1890-1964,

and there is a bit about her, plus some of her drawings for sale, at

http://askart.com/ [then enter FISH into the "last name" box] and http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/swannquery.html#Creator

In September 2000 I received the following letter about FISH:

Hi, Harry:

I am a collector of Fulper art pottery, made in Flemington, NJ from 1909 to about 1935. I am in the midst of writing one book on Fulper, and have ideas for a second.

Around the time of the First World War porcelain doll heads were no longer available from Germany, and so Fulper, among others, made some. This was a new clay body for them; the regular line of pottery was made from stoneware clay.

After the war, the market for the Fulper heads dried up, but Fulper still had the know-how for porcelain production. So, they introduced a line of ceramic novelties made from porcelain which don't even vaguely resemble their art ware line.

I think that's about all I know on this subject.

Don

He later sent some biographical information a librarian helped him with:

Anne Harriet Fish (Sefton)

Anna Harriet Sefton

was born in Bristol, England

1880-1942

1890-1964

She worked in oil, watercolor and was an illustrator who was active in London, Sussex and St. Ives, Cornwall. She married Walter Sefton in 1918. She did illustrations for Vanity Fair and later Vogue around 1920. She did the cover for Vanity Fair in April, 1917.

As you can see sources don't agree on her first name, nor her birth and death dates (I believe the latter pair look more reasonable). If you find out anything more about her, would you let me know of your discovery, please. Send to donh@localnet.com

Then in 2003 I received another letter about the artist:

Hi!

I was interested to find some drawings by FISH in your Web site. I am at the Lander Gallery in Truro, Cornwall, England. The gallery specialises in work with a Cornish connection.

You may be interested in the image I attach [lower picture, above]. It is signed by FISH, and it says ST IVES. It has a strong Art Deco feel.

FISH was her maiden name, which she kept using in her art after she married Walter Sefton, an Irish linen manufacturer who died in 1952.

I do not have her birth date, but she died in 1964. I know she was at the St Ives Society of Artists from 1952-1964.

"Awful Weekends and Guests" was published in 1938.

She had a picture at the Royal Academy.

She was a tall, upright woman full of vitality and humour. In her later years she painted amusing pictures of cats which raised money for cat charities. [Whoa! Cat charities! See part of the MUM feline team.]

My material comes from "Creating a Splash," by DAVID TOVEY, an excellent book about St Ives artists.

I hope you will like the attached image. It resembles a work by another Deco artist called Charles Meere. It is in the Lander Gallery summer exhibition and may be found on our Web site, www.landergallery.co.uk

Best wishes

Viv Hendra (Mr.)

The drawings are cutesy, I know, but they are full of good humor and are sometimes cutting; actually, no one comes out very well.

Does anyone know more about her??

More drawings by FISH (drawing 2, 3, figurine)

See drawings by the father of modern American medical illustration, Max Brödel, of Johns Hopkins.

More drawings by FISH
(drawing 2, 3, figurine)