Early Inspirations: My Great- Granddad. (PS: Can you Help?)

Family photo - My Great Granddad Stanley.

Self Portrait- S.T. Headley

My Great Grandfather Stanley T. Headley was an artist and picture restorer in London. He and my Great Grandmother met at art school, Muriel (Billy) was a decorative artist & sadly, I have only seen one of her works and a few decorated cards!

Great-Granddad died 3 years before I was born, Muriel (Billy) died many years before, so I never had the privilege of knowing them, only through stories and of course, Stanley’s artwork, those that belonged to my grandmother. I know even less about Billy and her works.

I have always been inspired by his painting skills but more importantly, I’m so inspired by his passion and dedication (painting and earning a living from it, during world wars and bringing up a family), his creativity, spirit, and between hand and canvas, his drive to create representations and narratives of the world as he saw it and share it with the world. And of course inspired that he was GG-Dad.

Stanley at his easel

Two of his works (that I know of) were published in The (London) Tatler magazine in 1910 (?), I have only ever seen these paintings in old copies of the magazine, reproductions that my grandmother had. Who knows where the original paintings are?

‘How Great-Grandfather Travelled Through the Winter Snow’ by S. Headley.

‘The Mishap – Or How We Travelled in the Days of Old’

by S. Headley

If by any chance anyone knows more about Stanley and /or Muriel (Billy) Headley and the where-abouts of his (their) works (I am lead to believe Stanley was commissioned and sold works, both originals and copies, in England and America) please contact me at kmeillustration@ozemail.com.au We know of one work (a copy) held in a museum in America and another small original work that was recently up for Auction, so they’re out there.

We are looking for any photos, documents, and correspondences from him, about him or of his works, for our family records. Any help would be greatly appreciated.