Dorset History Centre are beginning a project to catalogue the papers of Dame Elisabeth Frink, a renowned sculptor with strong local connections.
Dame Elisabeth Frink RA (1930-1993) was one of Britain’s most renowned sculptors. Her works are held by museums and galleries throughout the UK and worldwide. Frink moved to Dorset in 1976 and lived here until her death, establishing her studio at Woolland, near Blandford. She was part of a post-war school of sculpture known as the ‘Geometry of Fear’ and much of her work was concerned with the exercise of power as well as a strong interest in the human form and animals, particularly birds, dogs and horses. Locally, her best-known work is the striking ‘Dorset Martyrs’ situated in Dorchester. Since her death, Frink’s reputation has grown and there is now a high demand for her works amongst collectors and institutions.
Dorset Archives Trust (DAT), the charity which supports Dorset History Centre’s (DHC) work has been generously gifted the Frink archive by the Frink Estate. Frink’s son, Lin Jammet was keen to ensure that Frink’s strong relationship with Dorset was maintained which led to the generous bequest to DAT. The collection is now deposited at DHC for public benefit. A range of other UK museums and galleries are also to receive Frink sculptures to form part of their permanent collections.
The archive (documents, photographs, works of art on paper, printed material and audio-visual content) contains material which is essential to anyone hoping to understand Frink’s life, inspiration and techniques. It is contained in over 100 boxes alongside ‘outsize’ materials and represents the single most important source of evidence relating to Frink. Without the archive, it would be impossible to understand her life and work. It is currently hard to access as only very brief descriptions of materials exist.
Thanks to the generous support of the Henry Moore Foundation and a group of private donors, it has been possible to fund a project which will allow full access to this collection. This project will fundamentally and permanently change this situation through the production of a detailed archival catalogue. Through this, the archive will be accessible through online discovery for research by a wide range of users – from academics, students and curators to anyone else interested in Frink’s work.
In addition to the archive, DAT has been gifted a group of Frink sculptures and plaster maquettes. These too will remain at DHC, which most unusually has now taken objects into its collection – because in this case they are an obvious link to the archive collection housed here. The sculptures include six bronzes amongst which are The Group and the de Beers Trophy. It is DAT’s intention to exhibit these sculptures at DHC in a specially designed case.
DAT is now actively fundraising for the secure exhibition case required in order to safely hold the Frink sculptures now in its care and to make them available to the public. We need to raise £5,000 to do this. The sculptures, like the archive will be free for anyone to come in and view.
DAT and DHC would like to express their gratitude for this incredibly generous cultural gift and to thank everyone who has contributed to and supported our work on Frink’s legacy thus far.
Please contact DHC if you have any queries relating to the Frink archive or the project: archives@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
