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Rifle range at a fairground, c1950. Creator: Shirley Markham
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Rifle range at a fairground, c1950. Creator: Shirley Markham
Rifle range at a fairground, c1950. Shirley Markham (1931-1999) studied Graphic Design and Illustration at Central School of Art in London from 1950-1952. The writer, artist, poet, and illustrator Mervyn Peake (1911-1968) was one of her tutors, and her style of drawing was also influenced by other British illustrators such as Edward Ardizzone, Quentin Blake and Edward Bawden. Markham spent time in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy, and also visited Rome, sketching classical buildings. After graduating from Central, she worked as a graphic designer, producing book illustrations, cartoons for comics, menus and programmes. She gave up her promising career however when she got married in 1957. Middle-class women at that time were expected to devote their energies to bringing up children and running the home, and despite her obvious talent, she lacked the confidence to return to illustration. Her portfolio remained in the family attic for many years, but now her work is published here for the first time
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Media ID 18265895
© Shirley Markham Collection / Heritage-Images
1950s Fair Fifties Funfair Markham Rifle Range Shirley Shirley Jane Shirley Jane Markham Shirley Markham Shirley Waite Shooting Shooting Range Waite Amusement Arcade
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This print captures a rifle range at a fairground in the 1950s, showcasing the talent of creator Shirley Markham. A student of Graphic Design and Illustration at London's Central School of Art, Markham was influenced by renowned British illustrators such as Mervyn Peake, Edward Ardizzone, Quentin Blake, and Edward Bawden. Her artistic journey also took her to Italy's Dolomite Mountains and Rome, where she sketched classical buildings. After graduating from Central, Markham embarked on a successful career as a graphic designer. She lent her skills to various projects including book illustrations, cartoons for comics, menus, and programmes. However promising her path seemed professionally, societal expectations prevailed when she married in 1957. Middle-class women during that era were often expected to prioritize homemaking and child-rearing over their careers. Sadly but not uncommonly for many talented women of her time, Markham chose to set aside her creative pursuits after marriage. Her portfolio remained hidden away in the family attic for years until now when we have the privilege of publishing it for the first time. Through this remarkable photograph capturing an intriguing moment at a fairground rifle range in mid-century Britain emerges Shirley Markham's untold story—a tale shared by countless other female artists whose potential went unfulfilled due to societal pressures.
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