I occasionally made a drawing for _Mayfair_, the only Society journal
that I can recall having succeeded in any way on the lines of _Vanity
Fair_, although in this paper any accentuation of characteristics
seems out of place. The fact is the object of _Vanity Fair_ was most
distinctly the entertainment of the public, while that of _Mayfair_ is
rather purposely for the satisfaction of the individuals.
In 1913, I was commissioned by _Mayfair_ to make a drawing of the
distinguished scientist, Sir John Murray, who died recently. He was a
splendid subject, and had a most picturesque head. His portrait, which
was exhibited in the New Gallery, was painted by Sir George Reid, and
is one of the most striking in my memory. Mr. Bowie, the well-known
Scottish A.R.S.A., to whom I recently sat for the portrait exhibited
at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, which has been so well
noticed, also painted a very life-like portrait of Sir George Reid.
Mr. Birch Crisp, the well-known stockbroker, who was responsible for
the Chinese and Russian loans, was one of my recent subjects in
_Mayfair_. He sat several times in spite of the fact that he is an
extremely busy man and rarely to be found out of his office. He was
very interested in my work, and has made a representative collection
of it, which hangs in his beautiful house near Ascot.
Another of the most interesting of my later-day subjects was Mr.
Locker-Lampson. His cleancut face with its strongly-marked features
shows the determined character of the man. A good story is told by him
in connection with the General Election of 1910. He was due at a
political meeting in the neighbourhood of the Fen district, and being
already rather behind time, his car was at top speed when they turned
an awkward corner of the road--and passengers and car were suddenly
in the water. Mr. Locker-Lampson scrambled to the bank, left the car
and proceeded to the local vicarage, where he borrowed the parson's
coat and spoke that night at three meetings. The next morning all the
village turned out to the scene of the accident; there was the
stranded car and from a pole attached to it a banner waved in the wind
bearing the words "Locker's In," and he got in all right by a big
majority.
Last year at the request of the staff of _The Pall Mall Gazette_ and
_The Observer_, I made a portrait of their editor, Mr. Garvin. Owing
to a family bereavement I was not able to be at the presentation
dinner, to my regret, as I had very much enjoyed the opportunity of
meeting and drawing this very distinguished man of letters.
As I conclude this book, so, incidents during my professional career
of forty-three years seem to arise, but I must not try the patience of
my readers by referring to any more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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