ALDIS, Albert Edward

1865 - 1922

Albert Edward Aldis was born in Kentish Town, London on 31 January 1865, son of Elijah Aldis and his wife Elizabeth Fendick (1820-17 November 1879), daughter of Robert Fendick and his wife Elizabeth née Rogers (c1820-1881), Elijah and Elizabeth married at Northwold, Thetford, Norfolk/Suffolk borders in 1847. Albert studied at Ipswich School of Science & Art and after working with his father as a photographer and artist, after the death of his mother in 1879, father and son in April 1886 emigrated to New Zealand and shortly after their arrival, together with his father Elijah, set up a studio and art gallery in Coombe's Arcade, off Queen Street, Auckland and began art classes, and exhibiting their own works for sale and where Elijah also took commission work as a portrait painter. Elijah died in Auckland in July 1889 when Albert moved to Melbourne boarding at the home of Percy and Rose Grainger where he taught Percy drawing and introduced him to Maori chants and songs. He associated with the Victorian Artists’ Society and exhibited in their May 1892 winter 'Exhibition of Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings’ but then moved to Sydney. In 1896 Albert returned to live in Auckland, New Zealand shortly afterwards moved to Te Kopuru, where he taught music and art and on 31 January 1900, he married one of his students, Olga Margaret Herrich (born 1875), and they had four children. In 1907 he returned to Australia living in New South Wales with his brother William and they had several more children. A member of the Royal Art Society of NSW and exhibited at their annual exhibitions in Sydney and he painted Australian native flora and was specialist botanical artist. Albert died at Manly Hospital, Sydney on 26 December 1921. A portrait by Elijah and three of Albert’s paintings are held in the Auckland City Art Gallery.

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Works by This Artist