VULLIAMY, Blanche Georgiana

1869 - 1923

Blanche Georgiana Vulliamy was born at Oakstead, Spring Road, Ipswich and baptised at St John's Church, Ipswich on 6 March 1869, fourth of the eleven surviving of thirteen children of Arthur Frederick Vulliamy (1838-20 March 1915), a solicitor, and his wife Anna Marie née Museur, Anna Marie Vulliamy, who married at St Matthew's Church, Ipswich on 21 July 1864. In 1881, a 12-year-old, living at Oakstead, Spring Road, Ipswich with her parents, 42-year-old Arthur and 44-year-old Anne, born in Brussels and ten siblings, Hugh Francis 15, Fanny Jane 14, Jeanette Anna 13, Frederic Arthur 10, Eva Katherine 9, Cecil Palisser 6, Lionel Hastings 5, Justin Drayton 4, Grace Charlotte 2 and newly born Violet Norah, all born at Ipswich. Blanche studied at the Ipswich School of Science and Art from 1882, receiving her pass certificate in 1884 and 2nd prize in the Painting from Life class in 1890. In 1891, a 22-year-old art student, living at Alexandra House, Hyde Park Gate, Kensington, which was a residence for art students, and in 1901 a 31-year-old pottery designer, living at 6 Pitt Street, Kensington, London and was still there ten years later. Whilst in London she wrote the play 'Give Heed' which was produced by Miss Kate Rorke at the Court Theatre in 1909, which was published by Constable & Co. in book form and she was also a singer and amateur actress. In her art she created goblins and other grotesque figures from a wide variety of materials with special emphasis on wax and clay models which were used as a basis for pottery designs. At a pottery exhibition at Alexandra House in 1904, Queen Mary, then the Princess of Wales, purchased some of her ‘Smiley Poggs’ caricature pottery figures for which Blanche was well known. She was also an artist and in 1915 exhibited some of her paintings and models at the Ryder Galleries in Conduit Street, London. Blanche moved to Torquay, Devon to live with her grandparents, during which time she acquainted herself with the pottery industry in South Devon, particularly the Aller Vale Art Pottery, and the potteries in Barnstaple, North Devon. Blanche Georgiana Vulliamy was still of 6 Pitt Street, Kensington, London when she died at The Cottage, Ring Street, Chesham, Buckinghamshire on 4 August 1923, aged 54 and buried at Chesham, she was unmarried. An exhibition of Vulliamy's work was held at the Ipswich Museum in 2001.

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Works by This Artist