The artistic talent of the Kidson family

Press, 24 July 1976, Page 12

The artistic talent of the Kidson family

CLIFFORD DOUGLAS

In a real sense the Kidson family has come full circle in the realm of sculpture.

Sixty-nine years ago the renowned Christchurch artist and sculptor, Charles Kidson, com- » pleted a marble head of his daughter, Elsa Beatrice Kidson, men aged two. Two years ago Dr Kidson herself finished modelling a head of her great-niece, n '.trina, then aged three, a great granddaughter of Charles Kidson. The marble head of Elsa, called “Daughter of Eve,” has been for many years, and still is, on display at the McDougall Art Gallery. Dr Elsa Beatrice Kidson was one of four children of Charles Kidson, and his only daughter. She now lives in Nelson. Charles was only in bis forty-first year when he died in 1908, a victim of Bright’s Disease. According to family legend he was descended from a Huguenot refugee who went to England from France about 1800. Charles Kidson’s father, and his grand-father before him, were blacksmiths. The New Zealand branch of the family sailed in the Glenhora, reaching Nelson in February, 1886. Charles, who was not ready to leave at that time, joined them in 1888. He was then 21. Charles had been employed by an engineering firm in Birmingham, but his passion ~was art,

which he studied through night classes and secured certificates. In New Zealand he was accepted for the teaching staff of the Schc -1 of Art, Canterbury College (of the University of New Zealand), remaining in that occupation f ’om 1889 to 1906. He married in January, 1896. A sign of the frugal times is this extract from a letter he wrote a few months before the marriage: “1 have now in the bank £63 and 1 had set myself to save £6O by the year’s end. Then T have coming to me one way or another £7, so that I am really £lO in advance and not £1 in debt anywhere and £2 cash in hand. I have more clothes than 1 have ever had, too. 1 had no money in the bank 12 months ago.”

Mr and Mrs Charles Kidson lived first in Linwood, then on the Cashmere Hills, where they built one of the first 10 houses. Their choice ot site is now marked by Kidson Terrace. People thought they were very foolish to build in “such a bare, windy place with no trees.’’ Builders christened the new house "Windwhistle Corner.” The small house was designed by Hr'st Sea- r, an architect whose art was also becoming well known. In 1903 the Kidsons had living with them Charles’s younger brother, Edward, later to be the New Zealand Government Meteorologist. Foreshadowing the future, Dr Edward Kidson

took a D.Sc. at Canterbury College as eventually did his niece, Elsa.

Charles Kidson visited Europe for six months at the end of food to steep himself in the art atmosphere of that time. Soon after he returned to New Zealand he was seen to be extending his artistic interests, including the accepting of private commissions.

In 1905 he sculptured the John Grigg memorial in Ashburton, of which Hurst Seager was the architect. Portrait busts he did in these years included T. E. Taylor, Frank and Leonard Isitt, and R. J. Seddon. The posthumous bust of Seddon was finally executed in marble and stands today in the Parliamentary buildings. Early in 1907 he finished the small marble head of Elsa. This “Daughter of Eve” at once caught the public imagination. About the time of the completion of this work he was approached to make a marble bust of Sir John Hall, a former Mayor of Christchurch and member of Parliament, who had just died. This bust stands today at the head of the stairs on the mezzanine floor of the Christchurch City Council chambers. In 1906 Charles Kidon resigned from the School of Art because the school would not raise his salary to $2OO per annum. He had orders for a large variety of private work — leaded lights for windows, copper repousse work for mirror frames, salvers, napkin rings, caddy spoons, finger

plates for doors, hinges, fire screens, fenders, panels for over-mantels, name plates, clock mounts. He also did some silver and pewter work. But his health was failing. When he died in 1908 the family moved back to Nelson. His wife had been Kitty Hounsell, a Nelson schoolteacher. She returned to teaching to support the family. “There were no widows’ pensions in those days,” writes Dr Elsa Kidson. One of the boys became an engineer and was city engineer of Nelson; the other two were secondary-school teachers. With her degree in chemistry Dr Kidson had a distinguished career first with the Soil Bureau of the D.S.I.R. and later with the Cawthron Institute in Nelson. On retirement Dr Kidson hoped to take up some sort of craft work, perhaps wood carving, but was introduced to clay as a modelling material and was impressed with its properties. "In 1966, at the age of 61, I spent two terms in the sculpture department of the Wimbledon School of Art, in London, where I worked with, and was accepted by, students young enough to be my grandchildren,” she said. “Back home I seem to have concentrated on portrait heads in terracotta, cement, and polyester resin. For relaxation I turned to ceramics.” The head of Katrina is of polyester resin with a metal filler. It is dull gold in colour and about life-size.