Mildred Ratcliffe

English painter

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Mildred Mary Ratcliffe FSSI (1899–1988) was an English painter, commercial artist & calligrapher, known for her poster designs for the Post Office Savings Bank.[1]

Biography

Ratcliffe was born on 17 October 1899 in Rochester, Kent as the second of Alfred and Rose Ratcliffe's seven children, and was educated by a governess, before attending Rochester Grammar School for Girls.[1]

Upon leaving school Ratcliffe took up a position as a wages clerk with the Civil Service, at Chatham Dockyard.[1] Approximately four years later, she became a clerical officer with the Post Office Savings Bank, at Hammersmith.[1] In the mid-1920s she transferred to their new publicity unit, spending the rest of her career there designing posters and other promotional material.[1] She also designed the bank's annual Christmas card for members of the royal family.[1]

In 1950 Ratcliffe scribed and illuminated, in gold, a 'Book of Acknowledgement', for the Benenden Civil Service Chest Hospital's Appeal Fund. The book was presented to Queen Elizabeth on 6 July 1950, when she opened the hospital.[1] She also lettered two books of remembrance for St Mark's Church, Surbiton.[1][2]

She exhibited at two Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibitions and was appointed a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators (FSSI).[1]

For most of her life, Ratcliffe lived alone in a flat in West Kensington, London, before retiring to a cottage at 1, Mill Street, Loose, Kent in 1959.[1] In retirement, she joined and exhibited with the Maidstone Art Society, served as life vice-president of the Civil Service Arts Club, and acted as art tutor to local children.[1]

Ratcliffe died on 19 October 1988.[1] Her funeral took place at All Saints' Church, Loose.[1] Examples of her work are in the collections of the Imperial War Museums,[1] The Postal Museum,[3] The National Archives,[4] and Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery.[1]

Maidstone Art Society award a Mildred Ratcliffe Prize for 'Best in Show' at their annual exhibition.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Tritton, Paul, ed. (2010). "Mildred Ratcliffe: Artist at Loose" (PDF). Loose Threads (10). Loose Area Historical Society: 2–4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  2. ^ "St Mark's Church - The North Aisle". The Parish of St. Andrew & St. Mark, Surbiton. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Search results: Mildred+Ratcliffe". The Postal Museum Catalogue. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Catalogue description – Wherever You Go: Biddenden Post Office, by Mildred Ratcliffe". The National Archives. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Annual Exhibitions - 2014 Annual Exhibition". The Maidstone Art Society. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2019.

External links

  • Wherever You Go There is a Post Office, Post Office Savings Bank booklet, featuring Ratcliffe's painting of the Post Office at Biddenden
  • Ratcliffe's painting of West Wycombe, in a Tweet by the Postal Museum
  • Facsimile of the Benenden book