RUTH HOLLICK
1833-1977
Ruth
Hollick was born near Melbourne and studied art at the National
Gallery Art School in Melbourne from 1902
- 06, where she formed life-long
friendships with Dora Wilson, a painter, and through her,
Pegg Clarke, a photographer. Hollick first practised photography
around 1908 - 09,
touring the country mostly taking portraits. She worked from
the family home in Moonee Ponds and was accompanied by
Dorothy
Izard, who printed
the orders.
In
1918 Hollick and Izard took over Minna Moore’s
old studio in Collins Street. Melbourne, and were sufficiently
successful to
take further space for the studio and reception area in
an adjoining building.
From
1920 Hollick also exhibited her work in pictorial
salons and was a regular exhibitor in the London Salon
and Amateur
Photographer
annual
shows. In 1928 a one-woman show of her work was held
at the Collins Street studio. Hollick’s work covering
child and society portraits, fashion and architectural
illustrations was frequently used in The
Home between 1920 - 28 as a Melbourne counterpart to
Cazneaux’s
assignments.
In
the early 1930s Hollick closed the city studio and once again
operated from Moonee Ponds, mostly doing
child
studies.
Hollick and Izard travelled overseas for the first
time in 1950 and retired to live in Heidelberg on their
return.
Ruth
Hollick was best known for her studies of children, for which
she had a real interest and liked
to use
natural light where possible
and to retain an air of spontaneity.
above
text based on Gaël Newton's Silver & Grey
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