Item DC 094/1/2/19 - Illuminated initial sample

Dorothy Doddrell was born on 2 July 1894. In 1901 Dorothy lived with her father Arthur, who worked as a commission agent, his wife Florence, and their son Richard who was four years older than Dorothy. There was also a governess – Janet McKay – who lived with the family at their home in Blysthwood Drive. This was still Dorothy’s address when she was studying at The Glasgow School of Art. Her father died in December 1913 but the family continued to live there until at least the early 1920s.

She first went to The Glasgow School of Art in 1912-13. During that year and the following year (1913-14) she took day classes in Drawing and Painting.

In 1914-15 she took Design classes. It was during this year that she was selected to design The Glasgow School of Art’s Roll of Honour to commemorate staff and students who served in the First World War. She also received a Design and Decorative Art Minor Travelling Bursary of £8 6s 3d this year and is recorded as helping with the tea room at the Belgium Tryst at The Glasgow School of Art in January 1915.This was a two-day event with exhibitions, music and shows, organised by students to raise funds for Belgians suffering from the impact of the First World War.

Read more about the Belgium Tryst on The Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections blog at http://www.gsaarchives.net/2017/04/gsa-first-world-war-fundraising-home-front-part-2.

In 1915-16 she took day Design cIasses and is listed in the records as an Art Student. She was successful in getting another Design and Decorative Art Minor Travelling Bursary, this time for £8 10s.

In 1916-17 she took Life classes both during the day and in the evening, and was awarded The Glasgow School of Art Diploma in Design and Decorative Art. She also won second place – awarded for the greatest progress made during the session - in the Design Room Sketch Club competition presented in the name of Professor R Anning Bell.

Even though she had graduated, in 1917-18 Dorothy Doddrell continued to attend day Design classes. She was also one of three women to win a “Maclaren” Bursary. No specific sum is mentioned but the bursary was the outcome of a donation from Mr William F De Bois Maclaren (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_de_Bois_Maclaren) "the yearly interest of which is to be used in helping poor and deserving students, or in any other scheme, approved of by the Governors" according to the Annual Report 1916-17.

She was also listed in the 1918-19 Calendar under prize winners for 1917-18 for her design for the Roll of Honour, which was created in 1925.

In 1923-24 she did evening classes in Etching. The Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections holds some examples of her calligraphy work from the 1920s.

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