Foster, Phyllis Howard (McKechnie Section 2)

Recorded by Woodiwiss (article in Ms, ‘Edward Foster’; also notes), who found a trade label, apparently of this artist, behind a profile which had hitherto been attributed to her father, Edward Foster (q.v.). Woodiwiss was not sure whether the label actually indicated the attribution of the profile, or was merely used as part of the presentation and packing. Said to have been born when her father was ninety, Phyllis was the only one of her father's seventeen children to survive him, and she was still living in Liverpool in 1907. Her eldest sister was sixty-eight years older than herself.

From the wording on the trade label, it is obvious that she was very versatile and she is known to have worked as a drawing mistress and a miniaturist. She could theoretically have been capable of painting profiles to assist her father, but if we are correct in assuming that she was only twelve years old when he died in 1864 (aged 102) then in fact she would have been rather young to assist him.

I have seen no silhouettes by Foster dating from after the 1830s, but the example mentioned above may have been painted by him much later. My main purpose in this entry on his daughter is to record the trade label she used. For comment on the family name of Howard, see the entry on Edward Foster. The Holland who is referred to may have been James Holland of London (the most prolific of the twenty-two artists named Holland recorded by Graves), who exhibited 437 landscapes 1815-79. The text of the label is as follows:

MISS FOSTER

PORTRAIT PAINTER AND

TEACHER OF DRAWING

Respectfully informs the Ladies of Huddersfield & its Vicinity, that she has made a Selection of Paintings by Holland and other Masters, and intends lending them out, for copying, to Subscribers, either by the week, or a longer period. — She also has an Assortment of Embossed cards, Hand Screens, Drawing Boxes, Sable and best Camel Hair Pencils, in Sets, and every other Article requisite for Drawing and Painting in Water Colours. — As a Teacher, her professional Abilities, peculiar & systematic Method, and the decisive Improvement which a Number of Ladies have used under her Tuition, enable her, with the fullest Confidence, to Warrant her Instructions as being eminently conducive to the Improvement of her pupils. Those in Miniature Painting, have, for the Elucidation of their Instructions, the Advantage of seeing a Lady's Portrait painted from Life in their presence.

Terms and other particulars may be known by applying to Miss F. at her Academy, Huddersfield.

Smart, Printer, Huddersfield.

NB. Terms of Subscription

£ s d.

Per Week 0 1 0

Quarter 0 10 0

Half Year 1 1 0

Year 2 2 0

The Subscription to be paid at the time of Subscribing, and any Injury arising to the Drawings lent, is expected to be compensated.