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Olive Allen Biller painting
The painting above is from the Olive Allen Biller fonds, and is captioned by the first two lines of an old English Christmas ryhme:
Bounce buckram velvet’s dear
Christmas comes but once a year
And when it comes it brings good cheer
And when it’s gone it’s never the near
Olive Allen Biller was an English illustrator, who eventually settled in British Columbia after World War I. While in B.C. she turned her attention toward landscape painting, but the above illustration is of her earlier period in England, when she illustrated for children’s annuals such as Blackie’s and Girl’s Realm.
For more information regarding archival material related to B.C. artists, check out our research guide for B.C. art and artists.
Happy holidays!