Iris Brooke

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Iris Brooke
Born
Iris Evelina Margery Brooke

15 January 1905
Died22 June 1981 (aged 76)[1]
Teddington, England
NationalityBritish
Alma mater
Known forArtist, author, illustrator

Iris Evelina Margery Brooke, later Iris Giffard (15 January 1905 – 22 June 1981) was a British artist, author and book illustrator who, throughout her career, concentrated on exploring the history of costume.

Biography[edit]

Brooke was born at Ryde on the Isle of Wight in January 1905 and attended Bruntsfield High School on the island.[2] From 1923 to 1926 she studied at the Croydon School of Art and then at the Royal College of Art in London until 1929, where her teachers included Randolph Schwabe.[3] Throughout her subsequent career, Brooke created portraits in both oil and chalk but mainly concentrated on writing and illustrating books on historical costumes and fashion.[2][3][4] She also wrote articles for a number of journals and was elected a member of the Women's Press Club.[2]

In 1931, Brooke married Patrick Hopegood MacDowell but later divorced.[5] They had a son, Michael.[6] In 1944, she married William Hugh Giffard and the couple settled near Honiton in Devon.[2][3]

Books illustrated[edit]

  • English Costume of the Nineteenth Century, 1929, by James Laver
  • English Costume of the Eighteenth Century, 1931, by James Laver
  • A Pageant of Kings and Queens, 1937, by Constance Mary Matthews & Charles Carrington
  • Arpies and Sirens, 1942, by Susan Knowles.[2][4]

Books written and illustrated[edit]

  • English Children's Costume Since 1775, 1930
  • English Costume in the Age of Elizabeth, 1933
  • English Costume of the Seventeenth Century, 1934
  • English Costume of the Early Middle Ages, 1936
  • A History of English Costume, 1937
  • Western Europe costume and its relation to the theatre, 1939
  • English Costume 1900–50, 1951
  • Four Walls Adorned: Interior Decoration 1485–1820, 1952
  • Pleasures of the Past, 1955
  • English Costume of the Later Middle Ages, 1956
  • Dress and Undress, 1958
  • English Children's Costume Since 1775, 1958
  • Costume in Greek Classic Drama, 1962
  • Western European Costume and Its Relation to the Theatre, 1963
  • Medieval Theatre Costume, 1967.[4][7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995
  2. ^ a b c d e Sara Gray (2019). British Women Artists. A Biographical Dictionary of 1000 Women Artists in the British Decorative Arts. Dark River. ISBN 978-1-911121-63-3.
  3. ^ a b c David Buckman (2006). Artists in Britain Since 1945 Vol 1, A to L. Art Dictionaries Ltd. ISBN 0-953260-95-X.
  4. ^ a b c Alan Horne (1994). The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators. Antique Collectors' Club. ISBN 1-85149-1082.
  5. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916–2005
  6. ^ "Iris Brooke". The Galion Inquirer. Galion, Ohio, USA. 24 June 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Brooke, Iris". OCLC WorldCat Identities. Retrieved 19 June 2020.