painter and cartoonist, was born in Sydney. He studied with J.S. Watkins and Julian Ashton and at East Sydney Technical College. According to Rainbow, Baird, like Syd Miller , originally worked as a commercial artist at Harry Weston 's studio. In 1924 he was a foundation member of the Society of Australian Black and White Artists, along with 24 other men: Garnet Agnew , Stan Cross , F.H. Cumberworth , W. Dowman , “Driff” ( Lance Driffield ), George Finey , Cecil Hartt , Joe Jonsson , Frank Jessop , Fred Knowles , George Little , Brodie Mack , Hugh Maclean , Arthur Mailey , Syd Miller, Syd Nicholls , Mick Paul , Jack Quayle , Reg Russom , Cyril Samuels , Jack Waring , Harry J. Weston, Unk White and John Wiseman . All 25 members contributed to the Society’s first publication, commemorating the visit of the US Fleet in 1925.

Blaikie (91) states that Baird was an important freelance contributor to Smith’s Weekly in the 1930s, although he was never appointed a staff artist. An original drawing done for Smith’s was, A run for her money (girl in underwear, very straight, somewhat like Virgil ), that was held in private collection at the time of Brenda Rainbow’s 'golden age’ exhibition. He created the strip Pip and Emma for Smith’s . Josef Lebovic’s Australian Miscellany (collectors’ list 55, 1996, cat.62) lists an undated pencil drawing of a flapper. His drawing of the Black and White Artists’ Sketch Club was purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1939.

After working as a staff artist on the Sydney Evening News , Baird was employed as an illustrator for Associated Newspapers where he worked for 30 years, including being an accredited war artist for the Sunday Sun from c.1943. He was on the art staff of the Sydney Morning Herald at some stage, and Douglas Stewart says he drew for the Bulletin before becoming 'a fine landscape painter in oils’. Baird combined oil painting and illustrating in 1946 when he painted an oil portrait of 'Model of the Year’ Patricia “Bambi” Tuckwell.

Writers:

Kerr, Joan

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2007