Grace Lodge

Enid used many illustrators in her books. Discuss them here.
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GraceLodge
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Grace Lodge

Post by GraceLodge »

Hello Blytonists All

I would dearly love to have even the most basic of biographical data about Grace Lodge, prolific illustrator of many of EB's works, and an accomplished author of children's books in her own right.
The great libraries and academic insitutions have already been trawled for such data without success, and so I pose my question to the most expert audience in the fairly small world that is children's literature in this context - the members of the Enid Blyton Society.

Best wishes to all

Dr Brian Newman (GraceLodge)
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HeatherS
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Post by HeatherS »

There is a small amount of information about Grace Lodge on my website
http://www.heathersblytonpages.com/
Check under the "Illustrators" section. I couldn't find any further information on her myself, so if you do come across anything I'd love to hear about it!

Hope this helps!
Heather
"Have you held your breath in wonder, at the sky so dark and deep?" - Enid Blyton
http://www.heathersblytonpages.com/
GraceLodge
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Post by GraceLodge »

Hello Heather

Many thanks for your contribution on the biography of Grace Lodge. As I said in my original enquiry, the major libraries and academics in childrens literature have already been consulted without result.

Grace Lodge was an important artist and writer in her own right; for the bibliography of this person to be effectively in a national context, empty, represents a "black hole" at the heart of children's literature of the 20th century. And until it is filled I will continue to wonder about the lady who via her "Puddledock Farm", first introduced me as a child to the world of art and imagination, and to have a curiosity about her which I still feel to this day when I look at her wonderful creations.

Best wishes

GraceLodge (Dr Brian Newman)
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by booklover »

A very big thank you to Tony for the wonderful feature on Grace Lodge in the latest edition of The Enid Blyton Society Journal (No. 39 - Summer 2009).

I had not heard of Grace Lodge before the feature in the Journal. But the letter from Grace's son Derek describing her life in detail was vivid and heartfelt and the three photos of Grace as a young girl, in the army and as a grandmother captured the essence of her life journey. The poem written by Grace as she experienced blindness in the later stages of her life was particularly moving.

The colour illustrations on the cover and in the centrepiece of the Journal show that Grace was an exceptional illustrator and the accompanying article reproduced from 1955 notes that she had two pieces of work hung by the Royal Academy. One cannot help but wonder whether the intricate detail of Grace's artwork over her life contributed to her blindness. As her son describes it, his mother would do her artwork late at night using only an Aladdin lamp for illumination.

Enid Blyton would often say that of all her characters George reflected her best - presumably because she was strong-willed and refused to be deprived of life's opportunities simply because of her gender. From Derek's letter the same comparison with George can also be said of Grace Lodge. She was deprived of opportunity to be architect and had to settle on being an artist because "architecture was not a suitable occupation for a young lady" in "those days"; yet undeterred she ultimately achieved world-renown in the field. She also wrote a number of acclaimed children's stories. As Derek points out, his mother could outdo the boys by hitting sixes in cricket, and she had mechanical and engineering aptitude (traits usually associated with men) and had designed the house in which she lived.

Wikipedia has biographical entries for a number of Grace's relatives including her uncle the noted physicist Sir Oliver Lodge. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Joseph_Lodge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . But at present there is no entry for Grace herself. Nor is she referred to as a "Notable Relative" of Sir Oliver.

For now the knowledge of the wonderful life of Grace Lodge beyond her family and friends remains the province of those members of the Society who subscribe to the Journal. Yet another reason to become a subscriber!
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

A very interesting post and link, Booklover.
booklover wrote: One cannot help but wonder whether the intricate detail of Grace's artwork over her life contributed to her blindness. As her son describes it, his mother would do her artwork late at night using only an Aladdin lamp for illumination.
I wondered about that too. The final years of Grace Lodge's life must have been very difficult as she would have been unable to do so many of the things she once enjoyed. I wonder who "Eva" was, who was with her when she died?

Anita
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by booklover »

Hi Anita

Thank you for your supportive comments. :)

The impression I had from the letter from Derek Shelton was that Eva was Grace's guide dog. He states "Thank God that Eva was there with her when she died. She was devoted to animals, especially dogs. (Note the cold cool nose!)". In Grace's poem quoted earlier in the letter she had written "And God clothed in soft fur with cold cool nose / In silent sympathy / He comforts me."

But I admit that this is really only a guess.
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Yes, you may well be right.

Anita
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Enikyoga »

I was impressed by some of Grace Lodge's illustrations, especially those of Tar Baby, in Enid Blyton's 1963 Brer Rabbit Book which I cited in my book, The Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage on p.64.

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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Tony Summerfield »

booklover wrote:The impression I had from the letter from Derek Shelton was that Eva was Grace's guide dog. He states "Thank God that Eva was there with her when she died. She was devoted to animals, especially dogs. (Note the cold cool nose!)". In Grace's poem quoted earlier in the letter she had written "And God clothed in soft fur with cold cool nose / In silent sympathy / He comforts me."

But I admit that this is really only a guess.
I have just had an email and phone call from Derek Shelton. His daughter had found this post on our website and he just wanted to clarify things by saying that Eva is his wife and not his mother's guide dog! Derek said the following in his email:-

'At Christmas time in 1973, My mother was visiting us and my wife, Eva, found her crying. Upon interrogation, my mother revealed that she was scared about dying alone. "Don't worry," Eva said, "I'll be with you." When the doctor, at my mother's request, called from Weymouth to tell us that Granny had only a month to live, Eva (we call her 'EVITA') immediately got her 'plane ticket and spent the last three or four weeks at my Mother's bedside. I actually did not get to England until a few hours after my mother's passing. So it was Eva who closed her eyes and it was Eva who was rewarded with a silent smile as my mother left this world. Eva is the love of my life and the reader can see why.'
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

How lovely that Derek got back to us about that. Eva sounds like a very special person.

Anita
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Lovely to know that she didn't die alone and that Eva was by her side. What a lovely story.

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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Lucky Star »

That is a very touching story indeed. Eva sounds like a wonderful person and I am glad to know that Grace Lodge, the lady whose artwork gave and continues to give such pleasure, had someone so caring at her side. And many thanks to Derek for sharing the story with us.
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Re: Grace Lodge

Post by Maureen1954 »

Grace Beatrice Lodge the illustrator was born in 1893 in Egham Surrey and was the daughter of Sir Alfred Henry Lodge & Winifred Ada Derriman.

Grace's father was the brother of Sir Oliver Lodge.

I have just finished reading " the Children a Green Meadows" for the first time and I found the story very moving at the end and the illustrations superb!!!
Famous Five Forever!!!
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