Florence Susan Harrison (1877-1955) Florence Harrison's fantasical illustrations for children combined Pre-Raphaelite influences with the practices of fin-de-siècle poster artists. Associated with the publisher, Blackie and Son, throughout her career, Florence Harrison's work ranged from illustrations of her own poetry for children, to Romantic literary texts by Rossetti, Tennyson and Morris, to one of her most celebrated creations, the 1912 book, Elfin Song. Florence Harrison was born on board the Windsor Castle, a ship bound from London to Brisbane, Australia, on 2 November 1877. She was the second daughter of Norwood Harrison, the ship’s captain, and his wife, Lucy. Though her father retired from active duties in 1882, Florence seems to have had a fairly peripatetic childhood. According to the official censuses: in 1881, she was staying at Rockhill House, Folkestone, Kent, a girls’ school run by Elizabeth Harrison, her maiden great-aunt; while, in 1901, she and her family – including two younger brothers – were living at 29 Colworth Road, Leyton, Essex.
For at least two periods – 1908 to 1914 and 1918 to 1920 – she was based in Bruges, Belgium, a city that inspired many of her townscapes. There she met her close friend, the Irish writer, Enid Maud Dinnis, and followed her by converting from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism.
In 1905, Harrison began to work as an illustrator of her own poetry for children. The books were issued by Blackie, her chief publisher throughout her career. At this stage her illustrations combined Pre-Raphaelite influences with the practices of fin-de-siècle poster artists, and may be compared to those of such contemporary women illustrators as Jessie M King and Anne Anderson. At best, the colour plates have the luminosity and strong outlines of stained glass, while the line drawings have a decorative efflorescence.
In 1910, Harrison began to publish her illustrations to Romantic literary texts, including poetry by Christina Rossetti, Lord Tennyson and William Morris. Yet, at the same time, she contributed to popular annuals, appearing alongside Anne Anderson, Honor Appleton, Agnes Richardson, among many others. A turn to more overtly fantastic imagery was signalled by the appearance of her ElfinSong in 1912.
Continuing to publish until the early 1940s, Harrison moved from London to Hove, Sussex, during the Blitz, and became companion and carer to her cousin, Mary Isobel Harrison. Following Mary’s death in 1943, Florence lived on in the rented flat until her death on 5 January 1955.
Further reading: Mary Jacobs, ‘Florence Susan Harrison’, Studies in Illustration, Imaginative Book Illustration Society, no 46, winter 2010, pages 22-59 (with a bibliography of published illustrations)
Mary Jacobs must be acknowledged for her instrumental role in providing an accurate record of the life and work of Florence Harrison.
