Genealogy Chat

Vintage c1950s Silk Needlework Textile Oriental Lady with Parasol by Olga Pearce

Exquisite vintage circa 1950s silk needlework picture of an Oriental lady with parasol standing in a landscape with flowers and doves created by internationally renowned artist, Olga Pearce.

The needlework image is in remarkably good condition for its age and has not faded. The colours are still very vivid. Similar to British A3 paper size. The stitching is intricate and professional.

Actual measurement:
44.5” height x 31” wide


Olga Pearce hailed from Yugoslavia but ended up living in Hayes in Middlesex and later on the south coast in West Sussex in the UK. She specialised in creating intricate images and portraits spending thousands of hours making now very collectible works of art.

Her portraits of HM the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales were presented to Buckingham Palace.The Duke of Edinburgh portrait required 325,000 stitches and took 600 hours to complete. Her work is very sought after and now held in private collections.

I have found several newspaper articles and interviews profiling Olga and her work in various US newspapers from the late 1950s and early 1960s.

This needlework picture has a silk backing but is unframed. It would look amazing framed and hung on a wall. The detail of stitching is remarkable.

It will be well protected during packing ready for postage - ‘Signed For’.

That's all I've found on Google too. Seems odd that there wasn't a report of her exhibition when it was mentioned in the Birmingham piece about her. I haven't found an obituary report either. Makes me wonder if she had few friends.
Jenny.

The only reference I've found for her on Google was when I put in Olga Pearce, artist. A lady in a kimono and Prince Charles were her pieces.

Thank you so much for your help. You have found more than I did.
What a shame there aren't any accessible examples of her work . My daughter's picture was a beautiful gift.
Thank you once again,
much appreciated,
Jenny.

Thank you so much for your help. You have found more than I did.
What a shame there aren't any accessible examples of her work . My daughter's picture was a beautiful gift.
Thank you once again,
much appreciated,
Jenny.

I think this may be her death.

First name(s) Olga
District number 7864B
Last name Pearce
Register number 4B23C
Gender Female
Entry number 286
Birth day 21
Date of registration mm/yy 0200
Birth month 3
County Sussex
Birth year 1916
Country England
Death quarter 1
Death year 2000
District Worthing

I have sent you a pm Jennifer.



and their marriage?

First name(s) George H
Records year range 1946
Last name Pearce
Archive reference ARM2
Sex Male
Page 1992
Marriage year 1946
Line number 137
MarriageFinder™ George H Pearce married one of these people
Olga Machobej
Archive General Register Office
Marriage place Germany
Record set British Armed Forces And Overseas Banns And Marriages
Place type Place
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Country Germany
Subcategory Civil Marriage & Divorce
Type Armed Forces
Collections from Great Britain, UK None
Source Gro Index Army Marriages (1881 To 1955)

Google is your best bet

This one has more of her life story and confirms a divorce 2 years previously.

SHE PAINTS IN SILK THREAD silken portrait of the Queen MRS. OLGA PEARCE. of Botwell-lane, Hayes, is an artist, but no ordinary artist. In some of her work she uses fine silk threads instead of
16 August 1957 - Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette - London, London, England


I would guess that this is her divorce

Mrs. Olga Pearce. of Denzitoe - avenue, Hillingdon, was granted a decree nisi in the Divorce Court last week on the ground of cruelty by her husband. Mr. George Hector Pearce, who did not defend the suit. Judge Reginald Clark ordered Mr ...
25 March 1955 - Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette - London, London, England


They married in Germany in July 1946 and have no children.

Mrs. Olga Pearce, of Hayes, Middlesex, with some examples of the portraiture in embroidery which she has created. A dressmaker, born in Jugoslavia, she is going to hold an exhibition in London next year. The portrait of the Queen which has pride of place in her home, took 600 hours to work, using 300,000 stitches of cobweb silk.

02 December 1958 - Birmingham Daily Post - Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

Comes with a photo of the lady.

I'm looking for information about Olga Pearce believed to be from Yugoslavia and lived in Hayes then West Sussex. She was or maybe still is an embroiderer on silk having done portraits of some of rhe Royal family. A relative has a beautiful picture embroidered by her and would like to know more about her and her work. I've been unable to find more about her.
Jenny.