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The Art Of J. J. Milder

In the bad old days before 1066 and all that, when England was being invaded by the red-bearded Vikings, there seem to have been a few stout-hearted fellows about who rejoiced in the name of Hilder.

ONE such fellow is recorded in a saga to have been ‘‘shouting in the din” in the year 1015 when Olaf fought the Danish king of London in the Battle of London Bridge.

One Hilder, John, was mayor of Winchelsea in 1404, another, a parsonical gentleman, published a book on marriage in 1653; and several became artists of one kind or another.

There were, of course, black sheep among them; and one of them, wear ing the broad arrow of His Majesty’s Government, reached New South Wales as early as 1800.

Other, more respectable Hilders arrived in Australia in 1835; and another lot, headed by Henry Hilder, reached Brisbane in 1876.

Henry Hilder got a job with the railways at Toowoomba, about 100 miles west of Brisbane, and it was there on July 23, 1881, that his wife gave birth to her ninth child, Jesse Jewhurst Hilder.

In 1909, three years after he found he was suffering from consumption, J. J. became a professional artist; and from then until his death in 1916, at the age of 37, he painted prolifically, mainly in water colours, as he moved around Australia in search of health.

Reproductions of some of them were published in colour in a catalogue for a memorial exhibition of the artist’s work three months after his death. And more were pub lished in The Art of J. J. Hilder in 1918.

Now, to mark the fiftieth an niversary of his dea t h, and an Australia-wide exhibition of his work, J. J.’s younger son Brett has brought out a most attractive volume called The Heritage of J. J. Hilder, containing reproductions of 30 of his father’s water colours.

Besides the reproductions, the book contains notes on the artist’s life in particular and the Hilder family in general; notes on all the other Hilders who have achieved fame as artists; a list of all known examples of J. J.

Hilder’s works and their current owners (where known), and a bibliography of writings on J. J.

Brett Hilder, who has put the book together, is well known in the Pacific as a sea captain, PIM profilist, designer of Islands postage stamps, etc. etc.

In a note to PIM on his book, he says: “I should like to hear from any Islands people who know the whereabouts of J. J. Hilder paintings.

Although too late for inclusion in this book, in the list of paintings and

owners, I’m continuing to record

additional paintings”.

The number of paintings listed in the book is 424.—RL.

(The Heritage Of J. J. Hilder.

Ure Smith, Sydney. $10.50; postage 31 cents. Sole distribution in New Guinea by the author.)

Captain Brett Milder