George Alfred Reynolds (26 November 1854 – 8 April 1939) was an artist and art teacher in South Australia. Reynolds was born the second son of Stephen James Reynolds of "Sandsworth",

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, and studied at the

Birmingham School of Art The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Faculty of Arts, Design a ...

for six years, then was appointed him to one of the school's branches by head master

Edward R. Taylor __NOTOC__ Edward Richard Taylor RBSA (14 June 1838 – 14 January 1911) was an English artist and educator. He painted in both oil painting, oils and watercolours. He became a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in 1879. Biograph ...

; shortly afterwards he gained the Art Master's Certificate in London. He accepted the position of first assistant in Adelaide's School of Design under H. P. Gill, which position he held 1887–1891. During that time, Mr. Reynolds was frequently employed by the Inspector-General of Schools to produce illustrations for the reading books used by State schools, then was appointed art master with the Education Department, supervising art examinations in city and suburban schools, and art instruction at the Teachers' Training College in Grote Street. He was also responsible for the art curriculum in South Australian public schools, and designed eleven drawing books for their use. He was an active member of the

South Australian Society of Arts The South Australian Society of Arts was a society for artists in South Australia, later with a royal warrant renamed The Royal South Australian Society of Arts in 1935. History A meeting of persons interested in the formation of a society for th ...

1887–1899, and was a founding member of the Adelaide Art Circle and

Adelaide Easel Club The Adelaide Easel Club was a society for South Australian painters which broke away from the South Australian Society of Arts in 1892 and which re-merged with the parent organization in 1901. History The club was founded in November 1892 when a ...

. At their annual exhibitions his paintings and copperplate etchings were noted for their high standard, and he was the first in South Australia to etch and print a copperplate etching of any importance. In 1899, he was appointed director of the Ballarat Technical Art School, succeeding Carew Smith, who had accepted the position of inspector of drawing in Victorian State schools. He resigned from Ballarat in 1905 and in 1906 founded an art school in

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

, then was appointed to the Education Department, serving for 26 years in Mount Gambier, where after retirement at age 76 he continued to live and create until his death in 1939.

Family

Reynolds married Mary Jane "Jeannie" Korff (1 February 1857 – 26 May 1925) of

Gawler Gawler, established in 1839, is the oldest country town in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the st ...

on 27 December 1888; they had two children: *Rudolf F. Reynolds (25 November 1890 – 21 Mar 1978) of Melbourne *Bertha M. Reynolds (18 April 1895 – 14 July 1981) of Mount Gambier Their home for many years was Penola Road, then Wyatt Street, Mount Gambier.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, G. A. 1854 births 1939 deaths Australian art educators Australian etchers Australian engravers 19th-century Australian painters 20th-century Australian painters 20th-century engravers Colony of South Australia people