Catalogue of Drawings

Today's the day .......................... for Jessie M King

I was in at Kirkcudbright Art Gallery this afternoon, doing a stint as a Volunteer Researcher, working on some of the archive material there.  I've been looking at a folder of letters and other documents that are connected in some way with the Scottish decorative artist and illustrator, Jessie Marion King (1875-1949).

It is absolutely fascinating work because you never know where any of the seemingly straight-forward bits and pieces will take you, when you start to find out about them.  Take the above 'Catalogue of Drawings' - a small, folded cardboard list of Jessie's work on display in February 1907, at the Gallery of T and R Annan & Sons, 518 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.

It turns out that this was Jessie's first solo exhibition in Scotland - and this was a most prestigious venue for it to happen in.  Annan's were the most important photographers in the city and J Craig Annan, who ran the firm, was famous for his portraiture.  A coloured photograph he took of Jessie (see extra © National Galleries of Scotland ) using his own 'Autochrome' process, won an award and was reproduced in a special photographic edition of the art magazine, The Studio in 1908.

I could tell you a whole lot of things about the actual drawings by Jessie in the exhibition and how significant they were at this stage of her development as a designer and illustrator - but maybe, that's for another day and a different place.  

Suffice to say, I love doing this sort of research - and I have learnt a lot today about Jessie Marion King ..........................!