User:Aedis1/Art169

George Baird
Born	(1876-03-02)2 March 1876 Luton, England
Died	2 March 1943(1943-03-02) (aged 67) Perth, Scotland
Nationality	Scottish
Known for	portraits, lithographs

George Baird (2 March 1876 - 2 March 1943) was a Scottish painter and lithographer.

Life

His father was George Baird, a travelling stonemason.

His mother was Marion Brown (born c. 1841). George and Marion married in 1862 in Perth. Their eldest daughter Cath is born in Perth, but around 1865 the Bairds travel south for work.

George Baird was born in Luton on 2 March 1876, and baptised in 2 April 1876 in Camden, Middlesex.

The family would move back to Perth. In the 1881 census, Marion is now the head of the family staying at 27 Pomarium Street, Perth, together with daughters Cath, Jessie, Marion, Libby and the youngest, a 5 year old George. George and Libby are still at school, but the older daughters are factory workers.

In the 1901 census, he was at 34 Newrow in Perth working as a lithographer and staying with Robert and Margaret Alexander. Their housemaid was Marion Baird, George's mother.

He married Nellie Gurney (born 1880, from Dunstable) on 12 July 1902 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England.

In 1903, George is back in Perth at 20 James Street.

George and Nellie had a daughter, and a son George (born 18 July 1919 at 11 James Street, Perth) who was a prisoner of war at St. Valery in 1940.

Art

Baird is known for his portraits; and his landscape watercolours.

Perth exhibition 1937 1938

When he was honoured for his 25 year service with the Co-Operative Society, the Perthshire Advertiser ran the story, also detailing Baird's 'hobby' of painting:

Mr Baird’s hobby of painting portraits and landscapes has won for him something of reputation in the city. Examples of his work — portraits of Mr Robert Stewart, former chairman of the board of directors; Mr David Glass, who was the first manager of the Society in Perth; and Mr John Clark — adorn the walls of the Co-operative Hall.

Death

He died of acute pneumonia at his home in Craigie, Perth.

From the Perthshire Advertiser of 3 March 1943:

Well-known Perth Man Dead.
George Baird, who had been connected with the City of Perth Co-operative Society in part-time capacity for over 25 years, died yesterday morning at the age of 67. A lithographer to trade, Mr. Baird served his apprenticeship with D. Leslie, Canal Street, Perth. After a year with Waterlow & Sons, the printers of banknotes, he turned to Leslie's and completed 50 years service with that firm a year or two ago. In 1917 appointed minute secretary to board of directors of the City of Perth Co-operative Society, prior to which he had served for a number of years on the Society's Educational Committee. Mr Baird, whose home is Raeburn Place, 44 Friar Street, Perth, was a skilful artist in water colours and had been painting since his schooldays. Self-taught, he painted only for the pleasure of himself and his friends. In his home is to be found a large collection of his works. He survived by his wife, a daughter and a son, George, who was taken prisoner at St. Valery while serving with the R.A.S.C.

References

Category:1876 births Category:1943 deaths Category:Scottish male painters