Frederick A. Brown

Also known as Frederick Brown, Fred Brown, Fred A. Brown
  • Artist (Sculptor),
  • Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator)
Early 20th century Sydney political cartoonist, who began with wood-cameo portraits.

cartoonist and carver, was carving portraits in Sydney in 1890. On 10 April, the Sydney Morning Herald announced:

“Mr Frederick Brown has on View, at the studio of Messrs Chubb and Praegar [sic], Beale’s-buildings, George-street, a wood-cameo portrait, in bas-relief, of Mr H.R. Jewett as Cassius. If it is taken from a photograph by the firm mentioned it is well executed, the likeness, enlarged to life-size, being successfully retained.”

Frederick A. Brown exhibited with the Sydney Society of Artists in 1899. He contributed cartoons to the Bulletin in 1900-1, 1907 and 1914 (and perhaps at other times), signing his work 'Fred Brown’ and 'Fred A. Brown’. Examples include: an untitled image of a fat South Sea Islander with 'RIP Parsons No.45’ tattooed on his belly, dated 1900 (original ML PX *D447, f.37); a vicious war cartoon comparing the expectation of hordes of ghastly wounded returning from South Africa with the reported reality of only five wounded, two accidentally, plus 57 fever patients, published 11 August 1900, 20; and After Years of Toil – 'A missionary’s vision of affairs in China’ (a nightmare) published 24 November 1900, 14. A Vision , published 1 June 1901 (p.14), commented on the visit of the Duke of Cornwall and York to Melbourne to open Federal Parliament and plays on fears of an outbreak of contagious disease because of the crowds in the city. However, the representation showing the duke dancing on a kangaroo, flanked by creatures labelled 'plague’ and 'smallpox’ with a band of frogs (Melbourne 'toadies’) behind and a monstrous genie overhead is so eccentrically obscurantist that the published image was captioned: 'THE BULLETIN has no distinct idea what this is about, but it runs the thing in on general principles. A reward (amount not yet decided) will be paid to anyone who can furnish a coherent explanation.’

Brown’s special topic at the Bulletin was Hell, which he called 'Tophet’, e.g. THE OLD, OLD QUESTION . 'Premier Lyne says he doesn’t know whether he will stand for the Federal Parliament, or stick to the provincial Assembly./ [Devil] LYNEUS (to Old Scratch): “Tell me, friend, which is better – to reign in Hell or serve in Heaven?”’ 12 May 1900, 11 (signed 'Fred A Brown’); SHEOLITES [DEVILS] ON THE SPREE. 'MIDDLEUS: “So you had a good time?”/ CUSSIS: “Yesh – hic! They mistook us – hic – for the D.T’s!”’ 26 May 1900; CORNERED IN SHEOL. 'OHHEARUS: “Didn’t I tell you people that drink would lead you to Tophet?”/ HEARDITUS: “Look – what brought YOU here?”’ 2 June 1900, 11; IN TOPHET (signed 'Fred A. Brown’): 'Ex-Publican: “Halloo! What brought you here?”/ Ex-Brewer’s Mate: “Oh! I was drowned in a vat of beer.”/ Ex-Publican: “Breathe on me!”’ 1 September 1900 (original ML Px*D447/38 – probably the best graphically of the Tophet series); (male artist in Hell, perhaps a self-portrait ) THE POTBOILERS’ TOPHET . 'SEETLUS: “Good joke?”/ STARVUS: “Rather. Every time he puts paint on it melts”, 31 January 1907, 4; AT THE GATE . 'THE QUESTIONER: “Hullo, Peter! Why all the preparations?”/ ST. PETER [with barbed wire and a large bomb]: “Well, if some Germans happened along it might be necessary to protect ourselves”’ 3 December 1914 (signed 'Fred Brown’); The Surfers’ Tophet 1914 [on polluted beaches], illustrated King II, 97.

Fred Brown drew cartoons for a range of labour newspapers, mostly short-lived. In 1908 he contributed cartoons and humorous illustrations to Norman Lilley’s comic paper Vumps , including illustrations to a story 'Down Another Hole’ by Henry Lawson (15 August 1908, 5). One issue only is known. He drew cartoons for the Worker in 1909, including the simple, rather ordinary His Only Book (a cook reading 'Fat’s Recipes’ for Broken Hill broth) and Back to Lagdom (a worker being flogged by Wade with a cat-o-nine tails labelled 'Industrial Disputes Bill’ egged on by capitalist coal vendor), both illustrated in Dunstan (plates 11 & 12).

For a while Brown worked with Claude Marquet on Lilley’s Magazine , published monthly by Norman Lilley from June to October 1911 and nicknamed 'the literary outpost of the Worker’ (Dunstan, 43). In 1928-30 he was chief cartoonist on Sydney’s Labor Daily (Gibbney no.184).

Writers:
Kerr, Joan
Date written:
1996
Last updated:
2007