We learned last week of the death of Joan de Bethel, aged 93. Her daughter, Caroline Crabtree, tells of her life as an artist who lived and worked near Rye.
Joan (Burton) was born on November 25 1923, in Brighton. She was an only child; she and her parents moved to Greenford, Middlesex just before Joan started school, moving again to Gloucester Place, London, by the time Joan was in her mid-teens.
On leaving school, she was accepted at St Martins School of Art and Design, where her interest in theatrical costume and set design was encouraged and developed. During the war a film of Henry V, starring Laurence Olivier, was championed by Churchill, intended as a morale booster for Britain. Students from St Martins were co-opted to help create the banners and tabards of the fighting crowds, and Joan was one of those involved. The war was a time when home grown talent both in the theatre and ballet flourished, and after the war, the theatre continued to grow in the optimistic days of the early 1950’s.It was a good time to be a designer working in the theatre and was the happiest time of Joan’s life. In 1952 she met David de Bethel, another artist/designer; their engagement was announced in The Stage in 1953.
Their daughter Caroline was born in 1955, Joan and David by then working together as a partnership. Their work attracted the attention of the founder of the New Zealand Players – David was a New Zealander – resulting in their moving to New Zealand in 1957 to work with the young theatre company. They returned to London in 1959, but found, on their return, the west end theatre had moved on, and the sort of shows for which they were known were no longer being produced. Looking for an alternative means of income, a prototype of the painted cats, which later would become so well known was produced, with some success.
The very first cats were layered paper over a chicken wire base, soon replaced by moulded papier mache. Wanting their daughter to grow up in the countryside, the family moved to Lewes, and then to Udimore, Sussex, in 1964. The cats were now increasingly in demand; made by David , painted by Joan, finally varnished by David, they were sold to outlets in the UK and the USA. During their time in Udimore, Joan became a member of the Rye Society of Artists (RSA), regularly exhibiting and selling her watercolours in their annual exhibition.
David died in 1977; just a few months before his death, he and Joan had approached Rye Pottery to have the cats made in pottery, that could then be painted, thus enabling Joan to continue producing the cats, which she sustained until into the new millennium. Joan moved to Rye in 1981.
Whilst the cats were provided a steady income, her watercolours were her pleasure; she continued to exhibit with the RSA, until poor eyesight, and the encroachment of dementia made this an impossibility. The advancement of dementia necessitated a move to Thornwood in Bexhill, where she lived for the last five years of her life. Though her memory of her life with David, and in Rye, was completely lost, she continued to draw, her pleasure in her art continuing to the end of her life.
Main photo: Kenneth Bird
I met Joan a few times at her home in Rye. I was so taken with her cats that I became a distributor for Joan and probably sold over 50 cats. One of our outlets was the rather classy Hoopers department store in Devon.
Joan was a real character, sharp as a needle yet a little disorganised. She did not tolerate fools gladly but under all that she was a great person.
I am proud to have known her and I still have a collection of her cats, each individually painted and numbered.
Rest in peace Joan, you were amazing.
I Have A Small Porcilain Cat Figurien it Has A Sticker On The Base That Says it is Designed By JOAN de BETHEL And Ref B.B. it is Wearing A Yellow Striped Suit And A Yellow Waistcoat With A Flower Pattern And A Pink Tie And Shoes Can U Tell Me More About it Many Thanks David
David, it sounds like one of the later cats that were made by either Rye or the Cinque Ports potteries. These Joan painted and either returned for firing to the pottery or varnished them herself. Later still the potteries began producing the finished cats to Joan’s designs, such was the demand. These later cats often have flat eyes while the earlier ones are raised off the surface. Cats painted by Joan have a year date, a number and the letter C in a circle for copyright, followed by her name and a place, usually Rye.
The very early cats made by Joan and her husband David were bigger and made in papier mache, these are the most valuable cats now, often fetching £500 to £1000. The hand painted ones go for between £150 and £500 and the later ones for up to £100. I think yours is likely to be one of the later ones. Hope that helps
Tony Bennett
Further to my last post David, some of the later cats had raised eyes too I have discovered but they will be marked with a commercial mark on the bottom.
I hadn’t heard of Joan De Bethel until watching The Repair Shop today and seeing Caroline Crabtree talking. It was so interesting that I looked them up and came across this article and well as finding some cats for sale on eBay.
That’s funny because I have just finished watching the same episode and was interested to find out more
Great!
I’ve done just the same sort of thing. Here in Auckland NZ the episode is just on now and I have also found this information. Lovely to read in the midst of the covid19 lockdown. Intriguing to see that David was a New Zealander – and to reflect that my mum had a cousin who was a member of the New Zealand Players and would certainly have known David and Joan and probably Caroline too. We don’t need a virus to realise how closely linked the world is. Wonderful cats!
Ditto Judy – i also have just watched The Repair Shop – lovely to see the repair of the cat and I was also intrigued to find out more about the makers. Stay safe during our lockdown in NZ.
Me too! Love from NZ.
I’ve also just watched the episode of The repair shop while in lockdown in New Zealand because of Covid19. I was delighted to see the repair and enchanted by Caroline’s story of her mother and father and keen to find out more. The cats are so beautiful. What wonderful artistry.
6/25/2024
Just finished watching the program also. Oregon USA
Some more information here: http://www.studiopottery.com/cgi-bin/mp.cgi?item=237
I have 3 of Joan’s cats. Bought in the 1980’s.
One has the copyright symbol, the other two don’t.
Does that mean that Joan didn’t paint them?
Thank you.
Just watched the same Repair Shop episode and the cat was absolutely gorgeous. Such a talented lady and such a wonderful programme.
I have too just watched this programme and found the original cat and the story behind it fascinating. Learning about how and why art pieces were made is extremely interesting and can enhance all our lives.
Gosh: I’m watching the repair shop program now. Saw paper mache cat and it reminded me to look on the bottom of my gorgeous remaining cat. My boyfriend bought me 2 gorgeous wedding cats Mr & Mrs. From the Cotswolds in the late 1980s. Sadly Mrs got smashed and I’ve still got all of the pieces. I’d love to find a replacement so Mr can be reunited!
Try to get on the Repair Shop
I watched The Repair Shop too and was inspired by the wonderful repair job done on the cat. It was television to treasure, such a great story and wonderful repairer. There’s never enough information about the people who work behind the scenes in theatre, and today has given us a glimpse of their multitude of talents.
I would just like to thank the Repair Shop as I’ve just watched which is obviously another repeat of this episode! I hadn’t heard of these cats either but thought it was just beautiful! The repair work was just amazing too…so talented!
I’m here from the repair shop too. Such a lovely cat.
I have a cat, marked on the base BETHEL, a copyright C in a circle and just the letter P. It is ceramic with painted ‘flat’ eyes…. is this a piece made by Joan herself?
Hello,
I was hoping to find out about my “Cat Family”. Mom, Dad, Little Cat –
The bottom of the Mom Cat reads”
MADE BY JOAN AND DAVID (with a line that flows up thru the D)
DE BETHEL
IN THE CINQUE
PORT OF RYE
SUSSEX
ENGLAND
1964
Ditto Judy – i also have just watched The Repair Shop – lovely to see the repair of the cat and I was also intrigued to find out more about the makers. Stay safe during our lockdown in NZ.
Dear Ms Caroline Crabtree — if you are following these comments: I’m a New Zealand journalist, and I write historical feature stories about interesting people with New Zealand backgrounds or connections. My stories are featured weekly in two newspapers: “Memory Lane’ in the Manawatu Standard, and ‘Flashback’ in the Dominion Post (the latter newspaper is circulated throughout New Zealand.) Like other people on this site, I watched and enjoyed your episode of ‘The Repair Shop.’ I’ve found a little information about Joan and David de Bethel’s two years in New Zealand (1957-59) and would love to write more about them. If you’re interested in corresponding with me, please email me at tinawhite29@gmail.com
Hello,
I am still hoping to find out about my “Cat Family”. Mom, Dad, Little Cat –
The bottom of the Mom Cat reads”
MADE BY JOAN AND DAVID (with a line that flows up thru the D)
DE BETHEL
IN THE CINQUE
PORT OF RYE
SUSSEX
ENGLAND
1964
If anyone can tell me about the cats, I would be so appreciative.
Thank you,
Kim
Reply
Episode 28 of ‘The Repair Shop’, featuring the repair of a de Bethel cat for Caroline Crabtree, was repeated on BBC1 on June 10 2020. The programme is available to watch on BBC’s iPlayer and is quite charming.
Just watched this and what beautiful cats. I then had to read up on them. But at between £500to a £1000 don’t think I’ll be able to afford 1 any time soon though. Pity I love them
Hi Denise- I am Caroline, the owner of the cat. There are often de Bethel cats for sale on ebay. The earlier , papier mache cats , pre 1977, are more expensive, but the later, ceramic ones are usually much more reasonably priced. The thing to look for is the base, which needs to have a number, a date, and Bethel or de Bethel. Some of the designs were painted by the workers at the pottery so are not my mum’s work, and will not have the number, date etc. If in doubt, ask me! Best wishes , Caroline
Love these!
Dear Caroline. For better or worse, I bought on ebay, a De Bethel Teddy Bear.
The base is inscribed “JOAN DE BETHEL 1992 C (In circle) 340”
Have you ever heard of or seen this one?
Iv just watched the repair shop and loved watching the de Bethel cat repaired.. like others I had to know more about the cats & the people who made them, absolutely fascinating life story of two people leaving their paw prints mark on the world.
I enjoyed watching the Repair Shop this week and was very impressed with the Bethel Cat to such a degree that I could not wait to look for further information. So many people had the same idea. Such a shame they will never know how this programme about their cats has sparked off so much interest. Thank you for the additional information you have volunteered about the makers.
I have just watched the Repair Shop which I love and I was fascinated by the de Bethel cat. I had never heard of them before and thought how overwhelming it must have been to repair the original George! A beautiful job was done & I’m still mopping my eyes!
Jo in Switzerland
Ive been binge watching The Repair Shop since discovering it a few weeks ago, and I’m here, because I just watched the De Bethel cat episode, and wanted to find out more about them…so lovely to see such a sympathetic restoration, and what a lovely back story, of how it all began.