TEMPLE-BIRD, Kathleen Emily

1879 - 1962

As Kathleen Emily Temple, she was born at Ipswich on 12 November 1879, daughter of Thomas Temple (1849-12 May 1935), a draper of 12 Strait Bargate, Boston, Lincolnshire, and his Ipswich born wife Emily Ann Bird (31 August 1856-3 September 1946), daughter of Joseph Bird, a coal merchant of Ipswich, Thomas and Emily married at the Wesleyan Chapel, Ipswich on 9 Mary 1878. As Miss Kathleen Temple, she studied at Ipswich School of Art winning third prize in the 'Drawing from Human Figure from Life' in their show in February 1900 but won first prize in the 'Drawing from the Antique' competition. Kathleen then studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London under Henry Tonks (1862-1937) and Alfred Rich (1856-1921) and studied in Florence. In 1901, a 21-year-old, living at Burford House, 53 Fonnereau Road, Ipswich with her parents, 52-year-old Thomas, a coal factor, and 44-year-old Emily Ann with a visitor, 20-year-old Sylvia Packard who was one of her friends from Ipswich School of Art. A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1902-1911 and as Miss Kathleen Emily Temple, exhibited from 'Parkside', Bishop's Hill, Ipswich in 1902 'Portrait Study', 'Ipswich from Rose Hill' and 'View of the Orwell', in 1903 two oils 'A. J. Bird, Esq.' and 'Portrait Study' and seven watercolours 'Boston Stump, from the Witham', 'Potato Pickers in the Fens', 'Market Place, Boston, Lincolnshire', 'October Morning in the Fens', 'The Glen, Sunfleet, Lincolnshire', 'A Stormy Day in the Fens' and 'The Welland, Lincolnshire'. Kathleen married at Kensington, London in 1911, Ipswich born Frank Frederick Bird (1855-21 December 1927), an insurance company manager, she then went under the name of Temple-Bird, and they moved to Canada where Kathleen was head of art at Havergal College, Toronto 1911-1913, returning to England before the start of the First World War. A portrait and landscape painter, as Temple-Bird exhibiting at Ipswich from Broom Vale, Little Blakenham, Ipswich five works 'Interior, Felixstowe', 'Old Bridge, Croyland, Lincolnshire', 'Walberswick from Across the Ferry' and 'Old Tree, Walberswick' and in 1923 from 51 Gwendwr Road, Kensington, London, two oil paintings 'Interior' and 'An August Day in the Cotswolds' and was a regular exhibitor. She also exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery; Royal Society of Portrait Painters; the Royal Academy; Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour; Royal Institute of Oil Painters; the Society of Women Artists, where in 1916 she exhibited a Canadian scene, and New English Art Club from London, Addlestone. She seems to have had a lull in her exhibiting until 1927, when her 72-year-old husband died at 51 Gwendwr Road, Fulham, but had resumed exhibiting by 1930 and in 1933 at the London Portrait Society 'Portrait of the late Sir Patrick Geddes' and at the West London Artists in 1938 'Fruit Market, Bruges'. In 1939 she was living at The Cottage, Church Close, Sproughton, near Ipswich with her widowed mother, this was the home of the Ransome family, but shortly afterwards Kathleen moved to live at 3 The Warren, St Ives, Cornwall and she exhibited at the New Grosvenor Gallery, Oxford Street, London in 1940 and at the St Ives Society of Artists Summer Show in 1948, but returned to live in London the following year. Her other works include portraits of 'The Artist's Son' (1933); 'Mahatma Gandhi' (1940) and 'Winter Sunshine, St Ives' (1940). In 1938 two of her works, including 'Gandhi' were accepted by the French Government for display at Luxembourg Galleries, Jeu de Paume Parlour in Tuileries Gardens, Paris. Kathleen Emily Temple-Bird died at Firfield House, Simplemarsh Road, Addlestone, Surrey on 24 June 1962, aged 82, leaving effects to their only child Lt. Col. John Frank Temple-Bird (1917-1970).

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Works by This Artist