former actress and elocution artist from childhood, turned theatre designer, cartoonist and illustrator, stage and film actress, was employed as a wellpaid commercial artist by David Jones department store in the mid 1920s. Wanda drew illustrations in Home c.1924-27, her subjects being social events like the David Jones’ Ball (1 June 1924, 58A) or people at a gymkhana (cover, 1 November 1924). Blanche Wanda Radford, was daughter of the secretary of R Radford the A.B.C.Cafe in Pitt street Sydney, later manager of Tattersalls (George Adams) Hotel in Sydney for 15 years, also manager of the Grand Hotel, Mildura. Showing precocious talent as a reciter and performer Wanda was sent for training under elocution teacher Mr A.B. Flohm in Ballarat and left for further studies and performances in Germany under her parent’s care in 1905. The family had relatives in Germany. Her carreer was followed by Australian newspapers.The Adelaide observer__23 March 1907 reporting she had been employed by the German Kaiser to give his children acting lessons. Wanda had a number of successful concerts and stage roles and became a film actress by 1916 under the name Beryl Bryan. Wanda had been sketching and designing since her teens turned to art studies after WWI. She returned to work in Sydney for David Jones’ in the 1920s but appears to have ceased work by the 1930s possibly spending time in America she was living in Sydney in 1946. Radford remained unmarried until her death in 1982.
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- Writers:
- Staff Writer
newtog
- Date written:
- 1996
- Last updated:
- 2022
