Albert Tucker was born in Melbourne, on 29 December 1914. His grandfather and namesake was Albert Lee Tucker, MLA, three times mayor of Fitzroy. When he died, Albert’s father John had inherited a stationer’s business, but he had disliked being a small businessman and by the time Albert was born was working on railway maintenance. His wife Clara was more aspirational, but without sufficient income, the family found life difficult. Albert left school young, and with his brother worked subsistence jobs throughout the Great Depression. One of his jobs was at John Vickery’s commercial art studio, and he was soon working as a freelance artist and illustrator.
When he was obliged to enlist in the Army during World War II he gave his employment as artist. He was therefore deployed to make illustrations, and after a bout of pneumonia was medically discharged. His time in hospital meant that he saw shell-shocked soldiers and profoundly injured soldiers newly returned from the front, and memories of them continued to haunt him for the rest of his life, and coloured the direction of his art.
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painter, illustrator and cartoonist, drew cartoons in youth, including the illustrations in Playing with Girls by Julius Prang .
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- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
- Date written:
- 1996
- Last updated:
- 2012
