Mildred Mary Ratcliffe FSSI (1899–1988) was an English painter, commercial artist & calligrapher, known for her poster designs for the Post Office Savings Bank.

Biography

Ratcliffe was born on 17 October 1899 in

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

, Kent as the second of Alfred and Rose Ratcliffe's seven children, and was educated by a governess, before attending

Rochester Grammar School for Girls Rochester Grammar School (known as Rochester Grammar School for Girls until 2006) often abbreviated to RGS is a grammar school for the education of girls between the ages of 11 and 18. It has academy status. It is now known as just "Rochester Gr ...

. Upon leaving school Ratcliffe took up a position as a wages clerk with the Civil Service, at

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century ...

. Approximately four years later, she became a clerical officer with the Post Office Savings Bank, at Hammersmith. In the mid-1920s she transferred to their new publicity unit, spending the rest of her career there designing posters and other promotional material. She also designed the bank's annual Christmas card for members of the Royal family. In 1950 Ratcliffe scribed and illuminated, in gold, a 'Book of Acknowledgement', for the Benenden Civil Service Chest Hospital's Appeal Fund. The book was presented to Queen Elizabeth on 6 July 1950, when she opened the hospital. She also lettered two books of remembrance for St Mark's Church, Surbiton. She exhibited at two Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibitions and was appointed a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators (FSSI). For most of her life, Ratcliffe lived alone in a flat in

West Kensington West Kensington, formerly North End, is an area in the ancient parish of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) west of Charing Cross. It covers most of the London postal area of W14, includ ...

, London, before retiring to a cottage at 1, Mill Street,

Loose Loose may refer to: Places * Loose, Germany * Loose, Kent, a parish and village in southeast England People * Loose (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Loose'' (B'z album), a 1995 album by B'z * ''Loose'' (Crazy Horse album ...

, Kent in 1959. In retirement, she joined and exhibited with the Maidstone Art Society, served as life vice-president of the Civil Service Arts Club, and acted as art tutor to local children. Ratcliffe died on 19 October 1988. Her funeral took place at All Saints' Church, Loose. Examples of her work are in the collections of the

Imperial War Museums Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

The Postal Museum The Postal Museum (formerly the British Postal Museum & Archive) is a postal museum run by the Postal Heritage Trust. It began in 2004 as The British Postal Museum & Archive and opened in Central London as The Postal Museum on 28 July 2017. Si ...

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

, and

Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery Maidstone Museum is a local authority-run museum located in Maidstone, Kent, England, featuring internationally important collections including fine art, natural history, and human history. The museum is one of three operated by Maidstone Bor ...

. Maidstone Art Society award a Mildred Ratcliffe Prize for 'Best in Show' at their annual exhibition.

References

External links

Wherever You Go There is a Post Office
Post Office Savings Bank booklet, featuring Ratcliffe's painting of the Post Office at

Biddenden Biddenden is a large, mostly agricultural and wooded village and civil parish in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The village lies on the Weald of Kent, some north of Tenterden. It was a centre for the Wealden iron industry and also of ...

Ratcliffe's painting of West Wycombe
in a Tweet by the Postal Museum
Facsimile of the Benenden book
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratcliffe, Mildred Mary 1890s births 1988 deaths 20th-century English women artists 20th-century English painters 20th-century calligraphers English calligraphers People from Rochester, Kent People educated at Rochester Grammar School English illustrators Artists from Kensington People from Loose, Kent