GRIBBLE, Eleanor Mary

1883 - 1960

As Eleanor Mary Woolmer, she was born at Homerton, London on 9 September 1883, daughter of Alfred Henry Woolmer, a woollen draper's assistant, and his wife Mary Louise née Ensor (22 February 1861-1 January 1926), who married at Hornchurch, Essex on 23 December 1882. Around 1890, the family came to live at Cauldwell Avenue, Ipswich and Eleanor studied at the Ipswich School of Science & Art, passing her examinations in Model Drawing in 1905 and Perspective in 1909, also studying at the Royal College of Art in London, where she became a bronze medalist. In 1911, Eleanor was a 27-year-old teacher and art student, living at 18a Lower Brook Street, Ipswich with her parents, 57-year-old Alfred, by then a travelling photographer, and 50-year-old Mary, a boarding house keeper, with two of her six surviving, of eight siblings, George Henry 17 and Alice Louise 15, both born at Ipswich. Eleanor became a designer for furniture manufacturer's Frederick Tibbenham's of Turret Lane, Ipswich 1913-1922, a teacher of interior decoration and furniture at the Ipswich School of Art 1917-1922 and a member and exhibitor at the Ipswich Fine Art Club from 1915 at the same time ran her own private studio school. She married at Ipswich in 1918, Ernest Robert Gribble, a cabinet maker and as Eleanor Gribble continued membership of the art club and was secretary of the Club 1924-1939 and remained a member until her death. She exhibited from 4 Gippeswyk Avenue, Ipswich in 1927, a silver point sketch 'The River Blyth, Walberswick', a pencil 'Tide Out, Nacton Shore', and two watercolours 'At Blakenham' and 'Tide Worn', in 1933 four works from 17 Gippeswyk Avenue a pastel 'The Artist's Father', and watercolours 'The White Jug', 'Framlingham Castle' and 'Summer's Morning', in 1941 had six works on display, 'E. Thomas Johns, Esq. FRIBA', 'Portrait Study', 'Afternoon Sunshine', a chalk drawing 'The New Dolly', a print 'Fight the Good Fight' and another 'Love came Down', in 1942 'A War Bride', 'Alan, sketched just before leaving for the Middle East' and 'Framlingham Castle, Suffolk', in 1943 'Where Bombs had Fallen, Spring Returns', and an oil 'Floral Decoration' and a pastel 'The Blue Frock' and was a regular annual exhibitor. Eleanor was also a member and exhibitor at the Norfolk & Norwich Art Circle in 1932, from Ipswich. She exhibited at Tibbenham's Art Gallery, Brook Street, Ipswich in 1943, 'The Tower Mill', 'From St Louis', 'Suffolk Farmyard' and 'The Black Lace Mantilla', in 1944 'The Sentinals' and three pastels 'In Pensive Mood', 'Maurice' and 'Cley Mill, Norfolk'. Eleanor also exhibited from 17 Gippeswyk Avenue, Ipswich, at Royal Cambrian Academy of Art 1932-1936 also exhibiting at Royal Academy and the Society of Women Artists. Queen Mary purchased one of her prints 'The First Christmas Morning' and at the centenary exhibition of the Ipswich Art Club in 1974 her pastel portrait of 'E. T. Johns, F.R.I.B.A.' was on display. She made several works for various Suffolk churches, including a war memorial reredos at Stowmarket parish church in 1921. Eleanor Mary Gribble died at 17 Gippeswyk Avenue, Ipswich on 22 November 1960. She signed her works 'Eleanor M. Gribble' or 'E. M. G.' She is often conflated with Eleanor Mabel Gribble, the wife of Bernard Gribble.

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Works by This Artist