Frank Gould and stone lithography

Our Local History collection has many hidden stories. This one started with a lithographic portrait in our collection, of Frank Gould - one-time Australian Champion cyclist, master printer, and one of life’s true gentlemen.

Frank was born in Lakemba in 1919, the 8th of 9 children. During the influenza pandemic, Frank's older siblings were sent to their grandmother's home in Woonona to live, and Frank, too, spent many a weekend and holiday there through his childhood.

Frank left school at age 15 (c.1934) and commenced a printing apprenticeship in Sydney. At this time, Frank also began racing bicycles at state competition level. At one stage he was the Australian Champion for over 25 miles on an unposted road, from Parramatta to St Marys, and at age 17 he won the Australian Championship, at the Lithgow to Bathurst race (c.1936).

When World War II broke out, Frank enlisted and was called up to drive trucks, but an accident prevented him from leaving with his infantry battalion, and he was redeployed to the Australian Army Printing Unit in Toowoomba.

In 1988, Frank retired to Berry and indulged his love for the art of limestone lithography - a style of printing reminiscent of the Stone Age. Stone lithography was discovered in 1798, and almost two centuries on, Frank was the only person known to practice it in Australia.

Frank met artist Philip Cooper at a visiting exhibition to Kiama to celebrate the Kiama Independent's 150th anniversary. To create this portrait, Phillip Cooper sketched Frank's portrait onto limestone using a beeswax crayon. The stone was treated with citric acid prior to the drawing. Once the drawing was completed, the stone was prepared with gum arabic, which allows the part of the stone that is not drawn on to reject the ink. A piece of archive paper is dampened and then placed on the stone, and rolled with ink to transfer the impression from stone to paper.

Frank had a very active retirement and continued to work with artists and university students until the age of 95. While he was known to drive regularly to the Kiama Blowhole for a sandwich until he was well into his 90s, at the age of 93, Frank travelled further afield, to Gallipoli to attend the ANZAC Day Dawn Service.

Frank died in 2017, aged 98.

(Photos courtesy of the Kiama Independent.)

Frank Gould preparing the stone before printing

Frank laying the paper before using the printing roller to print the sketch

Frank preparing the stone to print the sketch

Frank Gould in his bike racing youth c.1930s

The stone lithographic print of Frank Gould, drawn by artist Philip Cooper