Born in Durham in Yorkshire, Frank Mason began his career at sea, educated as a cadet on HMS Conway. Having served in the Royal Navy in the First World War, Mason became a war artist, with several such images held at the IWM. Between the wars he became a full-time artist, working as an illustrator, a poster artist for railway companies, and supplying posters and postcards for shipping companies. From 1900 onwards he exhibited at the RA, and was awarded RI in 1929. Mason illustrated the book North Sea Fishers and Fighters in 1911, and was a ‘significant artist of marine and coastal scenes, as well as an illustrator of shipping books’. Rare LNER etchings by Frank Mason from the 1930s were discovered in 2002. In the Second World War he was personally commissioned to do work for the MOI by Edwin Embleton.
Information collated from: Luxury Liners of the Past, ‘Postcard Artists’, http://www.geocites.com/luxury_liners/Artists.html, accessed October 3 2003;
AntiquesIreland.com, ‘Illustrated Books’, http://www.antiquesireland.com/booklists/illustratedbooks.shtml, accessed October 3 2003; Norden, G. ‘RCJ Articles’, http://www.carriageprints.com/rcjarticle.htm, written September 10 2002, accessed October 3 2003; Questionnaire submitted by Royall, K. to Embleton, E., Royall, K., ‘Posters of the Second World War: The Fourth Arm of British Defence’, Unpublished M.A., University of Westminster, 1991, p.123
3 replies on “Frank H. Mason (b. 1876; d.1965)”
on your web site concerning Frank H Mason artist, you say he was born in Durham Yorkshire, I must point out as a post resident of Durham, its is in county Durham.
“Do you know if this was the Frank Mason who lived in Baltimore, Maryland, USA? Thank you, Hydee Schaller” hydee.schaller@sjca.edu 24/06/11
frank h mason was actually born in seaton carew west hartlepool