On this episode of Profile, host Jim Welch interviews South Carolina artist and naturalist, Anne Worsham Richardson. Richardson's wildlife paintings can be found in art galleries and private collections in and outside the United States.
Richardson began her artistic journey as a child. An accident during her childhood left her with a neck and collarbone injury. Stuck in a body cast, she took an interest in watercolors and began painting. One of seven children, Richardson's growing skills helped her stand out among her siblings and eventually be discovered by the world.
Anne Worsham Richardson focused her artistic career on painting birds, often drawing comparison to John James Audubon. She not only painted the South Carolina State Bird, the Carolina Wren, but also painted the state bird for several other states including Alabama, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, and North Carolina.
Side Note:
- Anne Worsham Richardson was known as the “Charleston Bird Lady."
- She is South Carolina’s official painter of the State Bird, the Carolina Wren, and State Flower, the Yellow Jessamine.
- She painted live models in their native habitats.
- She and her husband had a federal and state license to own a bird sanctuary. The sanctuary was started because people would bring her injured birds. When she wasn't painting, Anne spent her time rehabilitating birds.
- She was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 1991.
For more women's history content, check out the Women's History Month page. Visit the digital series, ETV Classics, to watch more gems from South Carolina ETV's vault.
