Sydney Ure Smith
Encyclopedia
Sydney George Ure Smith was an Australia
n arts publisher and promoter who 'did more than any other Australian to publicize Australian art at home and overseas'.
He was born in London
in 1887 and arrived in Australia with his parents later that same year. His father (died 1919) was manager of the Menzies Hotel, Melbourne then Hotel Australia, Sydney for over 20 years parents adopted the form 'Ure Smith' (his mother (died 1931) was born Catherine Ure) but formally their surname remained Smith.
He was educated at Queen's College, Melbourne then at Sydney Grammar School
. He studied pencil and ink drawing at the Julian Ashton School of Art 1902–07 then learnt the techniques of etching from Eirene Mort. At age 19 he helped Harry Julius and Albert Collins
found the commercial art studio that later became Smith and Julius.
Unlike most of his contemporaries, he seldom submitted his work for publication. He published his own work in limited edition books such as Old Sydney (1911) and Old Colonial By-Ways (1928), prompted by his passion for preserving historic buildings.
) in 1909.
His second wife was Ethel Bickley.
He died after several years of ill health and was survived by a son from his second marriage, Sydney George 'Sam' Ure Smith and a daughter, Mrs. R. J. Hemphill.
and Charles Lloyd Jones
to publish Art in Australia and in the same year he founded the advertising firm "Smith and Julius" with Harry Julius, specialising in high quality art work for prestigious clients such as Dunlop and Berlei
. They employed such prominent Sydney artists as James Muir Auld
, Fred Britton, Frank Burdett, Harold Cazneaux
, Albert Collins
(who was a director from 1916–51), Roy de Maistre
, Adrian Feint
, George Frederick Lawrence
, Percival Leason, John Passmore
, Lloyd Rees
, Bill Sparrow and Roland Wakelin
. After 1923 he ceased active involvement with the company.
He founded magazine The Home monthly from February 1920–42 in the mould of Harper's Bazaar
, Vogue
and Vanity Fair
.
He founded Ure Smith Pty Ltd. in 1939, initially to publish Australian National Journal (quarterly, 1939–47). He edited books on J J Hilder
, Arthur Streeton
, Blamire Young
, Hans Heysen
, Norman Lindsay
, Elioth Gruner
, Margaret Preston
, George Lambert
, Douglas Annand
, Francis Lymburner and William Dobell
.
He published Present Day Art in Australia. His son Sam Ure Smith produced a similar book Present Day Art and Australia
He published Australian Art Annual
, John Shirlow
, Eirene Mort, David Barker, Albert Henry Fullwood
, John Barclay Godson, and Bruce Robertson) of the 'Australian Painter-Etchers Society' in 1920 (and almost certainly instrumental in founding its daughter organisation the 'Australian Print Collectors' Club' in 1925).
He was president of the New South Wales Society of Artists from 1921–47. He was a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales
1927–47 (and vice-president 1943–47, supporting the controversial 1943 Archibald Prize
going to William Dobell
for his portrait of Joshua Smith).
He was on the Advisory Committee for Applied Art 1925-31, the Australian War Memorial
art committee and the New South Wales government travelling scholarship committee.
He was vice-president of the Australian Academy of Art 1937, chairman of the committee organising the arts component of Australia's 1939 World's Fair
pavilion in New York and the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition 1939-40.
He was on the organising committee for the Art of Australia touring exhibition in North America 1941-45.
He founded the Empire - USA Art Trust, and a council of the Australian Limited Editions Society.
He was a frequent guest on radio programs.
He was awarded an OBE 1937
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n arts publisher and promoter who 'did more than any other Australian to publicize Australian art at home and overseas'.
He was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1887 and arrived in Australia with his parents later that same year. His father (died 1919) was manager of the Menzies Hotel, Melbourne then Hotel Australia, Sydney for over 20 years parents adopted the form 'Ure Smith' (his mother (died 1931) was born Catherine Ure) but formally their surname remained Smith.
He was educated at Queen's College, Melbourne then at Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
. He studied pencil and ink drawing at the Julian Ashton School of Art 1902–07 then learnt the techniques of etching from Eirene Mort. At age 19 he helped Harry Julius and Albert Collins
Albert Collins (painter)
Albert E. Collins was an Australian painter, teacher and actor born in New Zealand. After a successful career in painting and teaching he joined ABC radio, where he gave pleasure to a generation of children as "Joe" of the Children's Session and the main character in the long-running serial...
found the commercial art studio that later became Smith and Julius.
Unlike most of his contemporaries, he seldom submitted his work for publication. He published his own work in limited edition books such as Old Sydney (1911) and Old Colonial By-Ways (1928), prompted by his passion for preserving historic buildings.
Personal
He married a fellow art student Viola Austral Quaife (granddaughter of Rev. Barzillai QuaifeBarzillai Quaife
Barzillai Quaife was an English-born editor, Congregational and Presbyterian minister, bookseller and teacher active in both Australia and New Zealand...
) in 1909.
His second wife was Ethel Bickley.
He died after several years of ill health and was survived by a son from his second marriage, Sydney George 'Sam' Ure Smith and a daughter, Mrs. R. J. Hemphill.
Business
But artistic expression to him was never more than a pleasant pastime; his real passion lay in harnessing technology to reproduce the works of others. In 1916 he founded a syndicate with Bertram StevensBertram Stevens
Sir Bertram Sydney Barnsdale Stevens KCMG was the United Australia Party Premier of New South Wales from 16 May 1932 to 5 August 1939.-Early life:...
and Charles Lloyd Jones
Charles Lloyd Jones
Sir Charles Lloyd Jones was an Australian businessman and patron of the arts.He was born in Sydney to Edward Lloyd Jones and Helen Ann Jones, and was grandson to the Welsh-born merchant David Jones. He attended the Slade School of Fine Art in London, England, but ultimately was unable to fulfil...
to publish Art in Australia and in the same year he founded the advertising firm "Smith and Julius" with Harry Julius, specialising in high quality art work for prestigious clients such as Dunlop and Berlei
Berlei
Berlei is a brand of women's lingerie and in particular bras and girdles.-History:The brand originated in Australia in 1917. Berlei undergarments are now sold in Australia by Pacific Brands and in the United Kingdom by Courtaulds Textiles....
. They employed such prominent Sydney artists as James Muir Auld
James Muir Auld
James Muir Auld was an Australian artist. His works are signed J.Muir Auld.James Muir Auld was born in Ashfield, New South Wales, third son of Presbyterian minister, Reverend John Auld and his wife, Georgina née Muir. James Auld attended Ashfield Public School and later, Sydney Grammar School...
, Fred Britton, Frank Burdett, Harold Cazneaux
Harold Cazneaux
Harold Cazneaux was and Australian pictorialist photographer; a pioneer whose style had an indelible impact on the development of Australian photographic history. In 1916 he was a founder of the Pictorialist Sydney Camera Circle...
, Albert Collins
Albert Collins (painter)
Albert E. Collins was an Australian painter, teacher and actor born in New Zealand. After a successful career in painting and teaching he joined ABC radio, where he gave pleasure to a generation of children as "Joe" of the Children's Session and the main character in the long-running serial...
(who was a director from 1916–51), Roy de Maistre
Roy De Maistre
Roy de Maistre CBE was an Australian artist of international fame. He is famous in Australian art for his early experimentation in "colour-music", and is recognised as the first Australian artist to use pure abstractionism. His later works were painted in a figurative style generally influenced by...
, Adrian Feint
Adrian Feint
Adrian Feint was an Australian artist born in Narrandera, NSW and who worked in various media but is noted for his bookplate designs....
, George Frederick Lawrence
George Lawrence (painter)
George Feather Lawrence was born in Sydney, Australia and for many years was regarded as one of the foremost painters in the impressionist style. He studied under Julian Rossi Ashton and Henry C...
, Percival Leason, John Passmore
John Passmore
John Passmore AC was an Australian philosopher.Passmore was born in Manly, Sydney. He graduated from the University of Sydney with first-class honours in English literature and philosophy, and went on to study to become a secondary-school teacher...
, Lloyd Rees
Lloyd Rees
Lloyd Frederic Rees AC CMG was an Australian landscape painter who twice won the Wynne Prize for his landscape paintings....
, Bill Sparrow and Roland Wakelin
Roland Wakelin
Roland Shakespeare Wakelin was an Australian painter and teacher, born in Greytown, New Zealand, who with Roy de Maistre and Grace Cossington Smith are regarded as founding the modern movement in Sydney....
. After 1923 he ceased active involvement with the company.
He founded magazine The Home monthly from February 1920–42 in the mould of Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
.
He founded Ure Smith Pty Ltd. in 1939, initially to publish Australian National Journal (quarterly, 1939–47). He edited books on J J Hilder
J J Hilder
J J Hilder , also known as Jesse Jewhurst Hilder, was an Australian Watercolourist from the Heidelberg School, a style of painting.-Early life:...
, Arthur Streeton
Arthur Streeton
Sir Arthur Ernest Streeton was an Australian landscape painter.-Early life:Streeton was born in Mount Duneed, near Geelong, and his family moved to Richmond in 1874. In 1882, Streeton commenced art studies with G. F. Folingsby at the National Gallery School.Streeton was influenced by French...
, Blamire Young
Blamire Young
William Blamire Young , commonly known as Blamire Young, was an English Australian artist.-Early life:...
, Hans Heysen
Hans Heysen
Sir Hans Heysen, OBE was a well-known German Australian artist. He was particularly recognized for his watercolours of the Australian bush. He won the Wynne Prize for landscape painting a record nine times.-Biography:...
, Norman Lindsay
Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
, Elioth Gruner
Elioth Gruner
Elioth Lauritz Leganyer Gruner, early anglicised from Grüner , was an Australian painter, winner of the Wynne Prize seven times.-Early life:...
, Margaret Preston
Margaret Preston
Margaret Preston was a well-known Australian artist. She was highly influential during the 1920s to 1940s for her modernist works as a painter and printmaker and for introducing Aboriginal motifs into contemporary art.-Early life:...
, George Lambert
George Lambert
George Lambert may refer to:*George Lambert , played for Fitzroy Football Club in the early 20th century*George Lambert , English cricketer...
, Douglas Annand
Douglas Annand
Douglas Shenton Annand was an Australian graphic designer and artist.Born at Toowoomba, Queensland, Annand studied commercial art at the Central Technical College in Brisbane. After working for several firms he began as a freelance artist and designer in 1931...
, Francis Lymburner and William Dobell
William Dobell
Sir William Dobell, OBE was an Australian artist .The electoral Division of Dobell is named after him.- Life :...
.
He published Present Day Art in Australia. His son Sam Ure Smith produced a similar book Present Day Art and Australia
He published Australian Art Annual
Public life
He led a furiously active public life: He was a foundation member (with Gayfield Shaw, Lionel LindsayLionel Lindsay
Sir Lionel Arthur Lindsay was an Australian artist and brother of artist and illustrator Norman Lindsay.-Early life:...
, John Shirlow
John Shirlow
John Alexander Thomas Shirlow was an Australian artist.Shirlow was born in Sunbury, Victoria, son of Robert Shirlow, a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, who had come from Ireland and followed many occupations in the new land without much success...
, Eirene Mort, David Barker, Albert Henry Fullwood
Albert Henry Fullwood
Albert Henry Fullwood was the Australian official war artist to the 5th Division in the First World War.Fullwood was born in Erdington, Birmingham, son of Frederick John Fullwood, jeweller, and his wife Emma, née Barr. From 1878, Fullwood studied art at evening classes at the Birmingham Institute...
, John Barclay Godson, and Bruce Robertson) of the 'Australian Painter-Etchers Society' in 1920 (and almost certainly instrumental in founding its daughter organisation the 'Australian Print Collectors' Club' in 1925).
He was president of the New South Wales Society of Artists from 1921–47. He was a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
1927–47 (and vice-president 1943–47, supporting the controversial 1943 Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
going to William Dobell
William Dobell
Sir William Dobell, OBE was an Australian artist .The electoral Division of Dobell is named after him.- Life :...
for his portrait of Joshua Smith).
He was on the Advisory Committee for Applied Art 1925-31, the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
art committee and the New South Wales government travelling scholarship committee.
He was vice-president of the Australian Academy of Art 1937, chairman of the committee organising the arts component of Australia's 1939 World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
pavilion in New York and the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition 1939-40.
He was on the organising committee for the Art of Australia touring exhibition in North America 1941-45.
He founded the Empire - USA Art Trust, and a council of the Australian Limited Editions Society.
He was a frequent guest on radio programs.
Recognition
Awarded New South Wales Society of Artists medal 1931He was awarded an OBE 1937