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Sydney Long (Aust., 1871–1955) and Ernest Thurlow (Aust., c1894–1975?).

[Artists’ Camp, Avoca, NSW]

1928. Pair of pencil sketches and one vintage silver gelatin photograph, each sketch titled, signed and dated lower left, photograph by unknown photographer captioned in ink on backing below image, 13.6 x 16.1cm (approx. each, paper size). Old glue stains to edges, photograph laid down on original album page.

Titles and inscriptions for sketches read “Camp Friends, Sydney Long, Avoca”, and “Our Camp, Avoca, Ern. Thurlow.” Caption in photograph reads “S. Long and E. Thurlow sketching at Avoca.”

Sydney Long often revisited some of his popular images, including this sketch of two kookaburras, which appeared in an etching for a Christmas card in 1923 (Mendelssohn #54).

In 1927 a critic for the The Brisbane Courier reviewed Ernest Thurlow’s work at an art exhibition and provided the following background on him “Ernest Thurlow of Brisbane, first studied under John Salvana (1871–1956), and then at the Royal Art Society's classes. Since he came to Sydney in 1918, he has exhibited with the Royal Art Society, the Australian Art Society, and the Australian Painter-etchers' Society. The etching school is under the direction of Sydney Long, the only Australian Associate of the Royal Society of Painter-etchers, London.” Ernest Thurlow regularly exhibited his work from 1927 to 1939 in Australia and overseas, including with the Royal Art Society in Paris. His work is held in the National Gallery of Art.

In 1939 Thurlow’s studio burnt down. The studio was in the top floor of the Crystal Palace Arcade in George Street, Sydney, and the fire attracted much attention and drew crowds of onlookers. Thurlow, who suffered burns, was described in the newspapers as an “artist aged 45 of King Street, Newtown”, and was quoted as saying “I didn’t care about myself…It was the thought of those pictures and etchings by Norman Lindsay and Syd Long [and other artists] in my studio going up in flames that hurt…I’ve been collecting them since 1918.” Ref: Recorder (SA), 22.9.1939; The Daily Telegraph, 22.9.1939; The Australian Women’s Weekly, 5.8.1933; Sydney Morning Herald, 7.7.1939.

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Item #CL207-21

Price (AUD): $4,400.00  other currencies