History of Sedbergh School in 50 Objects #29: Memorial Art Collection
As the Second World War progressed discussions took place at Sedbergh regarding how the School’s casualties would be remembered. The Cloisters, erected following the First World War were a fitting place to inscribe the names of the fallen, however, many in the community hoped to personally contribute to a new form of memorial to remember their friends and loved ones lost in the latest conflict. The full number of Second World War casualties was not known until many years after the war, indeed previously unknown casualties still occasionally come to light in modern times, however it was clear from the early months of the war that Sedbergh was losing many sons to the conflict.
The Memorial Art Collection was first suggested in 1944 by the then Headmaster, J H Bruce Lockhart, himself a talented amateur watercolourist. He proposed to the Governors that ‘a first rate contemporary watercolour’ would make a more appropriate memorial for boys killed in the war than ‘disfiguring the chapel with brass tablets.’
The founding painting of the new collection was ‘Maldon, Essex’ by Gerald Ackermann, given in memory of Captain Thomas Brearley (School House 1902 – 06). The delicate painting shows a beach scene with the town behind, the sandy colours of the shoreline reflected in the sky. The collection rapidly grew with works by Peter Scott, Peter de Wint and William McTaggart amongst other skilled painters. In total 21 paintings were given in memory of Sedberghians who fell in the war.
Over time the collection was expanded to commemorate other Old Sedberghians. A painting by J H Bruce-Lockhart was given by his wife Mona in memory of the eminent Headmaster who died just one year after retiring. The following year a painting of ‘Warren Row Church’, by John Piper was given in memory of Hugo Johnson (SH 1951 – 56) who died in a motor accident while still at school.
Initially the collection was hung in Main School, however in 1975 the paintings were moved to the Art and Design Centre to be hung in a specially designed gallery. As pupil artwork gained prominence the collection was rotated with exhibitions showcasing the contemporary output of the Art and Design department.
Around 25 years ago a catalogue for the Memorial Art Collection was researched and written by Victoria Collison, a pupil at St Leonard’s School. Victoria researched not only the artists, but also those who donated the paintings including parents, governors, staff and Old Sedberghians. This catalogue is available to view in the School archives. In 2012 all water colours in the collection were remounted with conservation glass to protect the paintings from fading in sunlight.
In recent years paintings from the collection have been loaned to Headmasters, boarding houses and the senior staff for display in prominent areas of School, ensuring that the collection is still accessible to those in our community.
