April Book-of-the-Month: Florence Broadhurst - Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill
Book of the Month, Inspirations No Comments »We went a bit differently this month with our book selection: a biography. Our recommendation for April is Florence Broadhurst - Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill. The life history concerns the incomparable Australian Florence Broadhurst (1899-1977), a female pioneer in the wallcoverings arena. Even though you may not know her name necessarily, she helped further the artistry of the hand-crafted fabric and wallpaper business as we know it today. Her design library has a collection of 530 hand-drawn patterns whose diversity gives credit to her creativity. Some of her popular designs are still fresh today.
Here’s where it gets truly interesting: Ms. Broadhurst’s imagination wasn’t limited to her work — it seeped its way into her personal life. As she was going through her life’s journeys, she invented a new name, new history and a whole new look for herself as she made her way through different career fields (and continents). Yes, really!!!! It seems as if she approached each new personality like any Oscar-caliber actress would. Her life came to a tragic end, but still her spirit lives on…as well as many questions. Did she truly create all those designs? If she didn’t, who did and why haven’t they said anything? Was she a con-woman or a vastly prolific artist…or both? Why was her life — as well as her death — surrounded with so much secrecy? Who was Florence Broadhurst really?
I’m not sure her same feats of duplicity could be accomplished in today’s information-ready tech world. However, I was fascinated by the things she was able to accomplish and those she was able to motivate. Her life — which has already inspired a movie – reads like any well-lived life: various careers, setbacks and triumphs, love lost and faith regained, hitting an important artistic stride and helping an entire industry reach a new level. At the point in the book where she was murdered (and possibly by serial killer John Glover), it was truly a sad moment to behold in an an otherwise extraordinary life. Or extraordinary made-up life, I leave that for you to decide yourself! The book’s cover is beautiful and it is a great resource for designers and design fans. I hope you find the time to read and enjoy it! Here she is working and some of her designs:
