February 1933: Glasgow Art Teacher – Death of Miss D. Carleton Smyth

An article on page six of The Glasgow Herald, on Thursday the 16th of February, 1933, reads:

 

“GLASGOW ART TEACHER

 

DEATH OF MISS D. CARLETON SMYTH

 

The death of Miss Dorothy Carleton Smyth, which occurred suddenly at her home in Cambuslang

on Tuesday, has removed one who for a number of years was prominent in Glasgow art cirlces,

particularly in the realm of commercial art.

 

Miss Smyth was principal of the Commercial Art Department of the Glasgow School of Art for 17

years. Of Irish and French parentage, she was born in Glasgow, and received her training at

Manchester and later at the Glasgow School under Mr Fra. H. Newbery. During her student days

she was keenly interested in the artistic side of stage work, and on the completion of her training

she spent some years as a designer and producer in Paris and Stockholm. Before the war Miss

Smyth was selected from a number of applicants to design and superintend the making of all the

costumes for the world tour of the Quinlan Opera Company. She designed the costumes for Sir

Frank Benson’s Shakespearean productions and Sir John Martin-Harvey’s “Richard the Third,”

and also for the pageants at Stratford-on-Avon. Previous to her work on the artistic side of stage

production her black-and-white work had attracted considerable attention.

 

During the years she was attached to the Glasgow School of Art Miss Smyth became prominent in

art circles through her writings and lectures, and was for some time a regular contributor to B.B.C.

programmes in art talks to children. She took a deep interest in the work of the Art School generally,

particularly on the dramatic side, having supervised a number of successful productions.

 

Miss Smyth was at the school on Friday last, and was in her usual health during the week-end, but

succumbed of Tuesday to a sudden attack of cerebral haemorrhage.”

 

A notice of her death is on the front page of The Glasgow Herald, on Wednesday the 15th of February.

 

 

George Fairfull-Smith, February 2022.