Russell Drysdale: papers, 1930-1978

 
Component identifier:
Series 11
Content Summary:

Russell Drysdale was born at Bognor Regis, Sussex, England in 1912. In 1923, his family settled permanently in Melbourne and Drysdale was enrolled at Geelong Grammar School. After leaving school, Drysdale worked on family properties in north Queensland and northern Victoria. In 1935 he married Elizabeth 'Bon' Stephens, with whom he had two children.

Maisie first met Russell Drysdale at the George Bell School where he and Peter Purves Smith were fellow students. Maisie, Purves Smith and Russell and Bon Drysdale became firm friends at this time. Russell Drysdale was best man at the wedding of Maisie and Purves Smith in 1946. The Drysdales were very supportive of Maisie following the death of Purves Smith, taking her with them on an overseas trip in 1950. The friendship continued throughout the following years.

In 1964, following the death of Bon Russell the previous year, Maisie married Russell Drysdale. In 1966 they moved into a house they had built on the Central Coast near Gosford, where they lived for the remainder of their lives.

Papers relating to Russell Drysdale are contained in this series. There is a school notebook from Geelong Grammar School (1930); passports (1931, 1972 and 1978); typed lists of works for sale at Leicester Galleries, London (1965) and The Barn, McLaren Vale (undated); certificates presented to Drysdale; a pamphlet from Geelong Grammar School entitled Geelong Gramarians and the arts, which refers to Drysdale; a copy of Russell Drysdale's will (1978) and items believed to have been pinned up in Drysdale's studio. There is also an illustrated Christmas message from Donald Friend to 'Tas and Bon', dated 1954 and the typescript of a short story by John Douglas Pringle, entitled 'Upon the thistle they're impaled', together with a letter asking if Drysdale would provide an illustration.

Written works by Drysdale include a typescript entitled 'Australia Felix', a fictitious series of letters relating to early life in Sydney; a manuscript draft of a talk for the ABC radio program Guest of honour; a photocopy of a poem entitled 'Dedicated to the Yolla'; and a manuscript draft of a letter of reference for Michael Shanon.

In 1966 Peter Sculthorpe dedicated his String quartet No. 7, Red landscape, to Russell Drysdale. Included in this series is the original manuscript score, together with a note from Sculthorpe. There is a proof copy, dated December 1980, of Sculthorpe's score of Small town, also dedicated to Drysdale.

3 files and one packet

1 folio packet

Immediate source of acquisition:
The papers of Maisie Drysdale were donated to the Library in 2001 by Russell Drysdale's daughter, Lynne Clarke, under the Cultural Gifts Program.

Access and use

Parent Restrictions:
Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1125623).
Parent Terms of Access:
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: