HARRIS, Mabel

1892 - 1983

Mabel Harris was born at Leytonstone, Essex on 10 September 1892, daughter of George James Harris (1855-28 June 1919) and his wife Emily née Punter (1863-), who married at Hackney, London in 1887. In 1911, Mabel was an 18-year-old clerk, living at 25 Carlton Road, Leytonstone with her parents, 55-year-old George, a coal dealer, and 47-year-old Emily, with siblings George 22, an art teacher and student, Clara 20, Arthur 16 and James 9, all born at Leytonstone. Mabel was tutored by her brother George and exhibited from Leytonstone at the Grosvenor Gallery 1930-1931. She married at West Ham, Essex in 1932, artist John Gray Higgins (2 January 1873-2 June 1954), but continued to work under maiden name, and they lived at The Vale, Brook Street, Dedham. A watercolour flower, landscape and architectural painter and a linocut artist. She exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Walker Art Gallery; the Society of Women Artists and as Miss Mabel Harris, in 1941 exhibited six works at the Ipswich Art Club 'A Gateway in Bruges', 'Mont Orgueil Castle, Jersey', 'Chichester Cathedral', 'Scheregate, Colchester', 'Dedham Vale' and a coloured linocut 'Primroses', in 1942 four works 'Porte Marechale, Bruges', 'Pyrethrums', 'Houses in Dedham' and 'The Street, Dedham', four in 1943 'Michaelmas Daisies', 'The Fen Bridge, near Flatford', 'Kersey' and 'Roses' and five in 1944 'Hollyhocks', 'Prince Lane, Dedham', 'Mont Orgueil Castle, Jersey', 'A Street in Bruges' and 'Honesty and Toby'. Her husband was of The Vale, Dedham when he died at Heath House, Tendring, Essex in 1954, leaving his effect to his widow Mabel Higgins. Mabel Higgins died at 139 All Saints Street, Hastings, East Sussex on 19 February 1983. She is sometimes conflated with the American artist Mabel Rollins Harris.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 25 Carlton Road, Leytonstone
1929 737 Gladioli - watercolour
1932 820 Primroses - watercolour
1933 815 Carnations - watercolour
         850 Old Houses, Dedham - watercolour
         951 Morning, Dedham - watercolour
from The Vale, Brook Street, Dedham
1942 418 Mont Orgueil - watercolour
from 11 All Saints Street, Hastings
1962 644 The Stag Inn, Hastings - watercolour

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Works by This Artist