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‘Willoth’ in the Museum

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CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME

As the football season draws to its conclusion I am reminded that, “You win some, you lose some.” In this newsletter you can read about our latest win in adding to the Museum’s extensive collection of Geoffrey Sparrow art. Local contemporary artist Claire Phillips is exhibiting in the Museum again and visitors climbing the Museum stairs are greeted by her stunning painting of Charles Wheeler, an earlier win gained by their purchase by The Friends. Our latest loss was a few weeks ago when the auction of a picture by Raoul Millais of a horse was announced. The Friends were keen to help the Museum buy this item, given the Horsham connection with this artistic family and the symbolism of the horse. Unfortunately, the auction bidding went above the available funds, perhaps due to the fact that the picture’s broad appeal was increased by the horse’s bridle being held by Winston Churchill (who I am told visited Horsham regularly). Undaunted, we hope to “keep in the game” by continuing to build up our war chest in anticipation of future wins.

To that aim, I hope many of you will find some or all of our upcoming events of interest. Gail’s talk on political skulduggery in Horsham is on a theme that led to BBC’s South Today broadcasting about her, the Museum and Albery Poster Heritage Lottery Project during Parliament Week last year. We trust that the second quiz night will be as well attended as our first and, following up from the successful guided tour of Littlehampton, sees a move along the coast to visit Shoreham this summer. Keep an eye out for details of events happening later this year, as in October we will collaborate with Horsham Borough Band to illustrate a performance of ‘Return to Horsham’ with Albery posters and Cramp photographs, and in November Jessica Jacobs will talk about her conservation work.

In 1614 a small pamphlet or chapbook was published in London that told of a horrible sight—some said it was a dragon, but the chapbook said it was a snake. That publication, which now seems to only exist at the Bodleian in Oxford, was the start of the legend of the St. Leonard’s Forest dragon. Even though the publication says it was a snake, public imagination caught hold of the word dragon and since the late 18th century Horsham and dragon have been linked together. To celebrate the 400th anniversary, we are staging an exhibition on dragons this summer. Using material from our own collections as well as items from Brighton & Hove City Museum service we will be looking at dragons across the world as featured in arts and crafts. It is a strange but remarkable feature that dragons occur in virtually every culture in the world. The summer exhibition will be a fascinating, colourful and intriguing view of dragons from 200 year old Chinese pots, to Japanese enamels to ceramics and illustrations.

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STRANGE AND WONDERFULL

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RECENT FHM PURCHASES

Last December Toovey’s had a number of Dr Geoffrey Sparrow items for sale that came from a direct descendent. As many of you will know, in addition to being a medical doctor, Dr. Geoffrey Sparrow was also a talented artist who, in the tradition of Rowlandson and Leach, gave a comic view of life around him. The Friends agreed to help buy a number of the items, the difficulty was selecting what. Given that the Museum has an abundance of his hunting illustrations already, it was decided that any purchase should show another side of his work. The most notable acquisition was a Children’s A-Z, illustrated for his children, that gives full vent to his comic talents. The Museum also bought two sketches done during World War II – Dr. Sparrow served in both Wars. We hope to republish the A-Z in the near future.

Contemporary portrait painter Claire Phillips is creating an exhibition of paintings to provoke debate about the issues surrounding the use of child labour in India and in so doing demonstrates the relevance of portraiture to 21st century social issues. After hearing many arguments justifying the use of child labour in India, Claire decided to ask the child labourers directly. Aided by the Save the Childhood Movement, Claire has researched, interviewed, sketched and photographed children who have been rescued from factories, brick works, mining and embroidery works. In 2011 she visited rehabilitation homes for children rescued from desperate slave labour conditions. Most are the victims of trafficking after their parents are conned into believing that their children will have an education and a better future. The parents never see their children again. Claire’s experience with the rescued children was both harrowing and uplifting. See page 4 for details.

NEW EXHIBITION BY CLAIRE PHILLIPS

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FHM TALK

A well attended meeting in the Wesley Hall was treated to Cecil Cramp’s ‘No 5 Slide Show’ which showed Horsham just before the Great War. Of course Cecil was not there in person but the show started with a delightful picture of him in his mother’s arms. Julie Mitchell and Liz Harvey provided their own commentary, explaining what had replaced the buildings and roads which had disappeared, quoting from the West Sussex County Times and featuring posters of films showing at the old cinemas that preceded the Odeon and the Ritz. Other slides showed an unfamiliar North Street with no buildings on the east side, North Parade looking like a rural lane and Vanderbilt’s coach going the ‘wrong’ way round the Carfax. St. Mark’s spire was under repair at that time and an intrepid photographer took three interesting photographs from the top which show an amazing jumble of rooftops behind the familiar facades of the Carfax and East Street. The meeting was informal with audience members commenting and adding their own information.

LIBRARY ADDITIONS

“Sussex Archaeological Collections” Volume 151 There are no reports which directly refer to the Horsham District but there are interesting accounts of the lives of Henry Hallywell (1641-1703) who was the vicar at Ifield, Slaugham and Cowfold and later a canon. Another article suggests that local doubts about the ‘soundness’ of some of the earlier finds of Charles Dawson of Piltdown Man fame led to doubts about the authenticity of Piltdown man.

NEW MEMBERS

The Friends extend a warm welcome to new members who have joined recently:

Mr and Mrs D Avey, of Chichester Terrace Mrs A Hill of Lower Tanbridge Way Ms M Goldware of Portland, Oregon, USA Mr C Smith, Causeway

In 1996 George Coomber, former Chairman of the Museum Society and lifelong stalwart, before the Isle of Wight dragged him away, published with help from Susan Djabri, his long waited book on the Horsham mills. Now long out of print a revised version has been published with all profits going to the Friends. Now A5 size and ring bound, it makes an ideal travelling companion to those who want to know about Horsham’s milling history – a history that spans nearly 800 years. With some new facts, illustrations and format it is a useful addition to the town’s history.

NEW PUBLICATION

Shoreham and Horsham are linked through corruption. In September they will be linked by a tour around the town and port. Although Horsham was rife with political corruption at election time, Shoreham was even worse, and so Parliament gave the right to vote in Shoreham’s elections to those who had the right to vote in Horsham. However in September we won’t be exploring that story, but taking a walk around a town whose front face hides a visually rich and fascinating past that has surprising parallels with Horsham.

FORTHCOMING TOUR

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RECLAIMING CHILDHOOD: FACE TO FACE WITH CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA

Until 5 July [Art Gallery] Claire Phillips has created a new body of work in conjunction with the Indian charity Bachpan Bachao Andolan who rescue children from slave labour conditions in India. This exhibition is a preview before launching at the Oxo Tower Gallery on the South Bank in July 2014.

HORSHAM EMBROIDERERS [Craft Gallery] 8 May to 21 June An opportunity to see recent work by members.

HORSHAM WOMEN [Temporary Exhibition Gallery] 22 May to 6 July The lives and achievements of notable women of Horsham past are charted in this exhibition.

‘CORRUPT CAMPAIGNS AND COURAGEOUS CAMPAIGNERS’

4 June 2014 Wesley Hall, London Road Methodist Church, Horsham. 8pm start. Come along to the June talk delivered by Gail Mackintosh to hear tales from Horsham’s political past. Discover when Horsham held the most drunken and corrupt election in the UK and how the headquarters of a Woman’s Suffrage group was set up on West Street. The talk looks at a range of political events from as far back as 1741 up to the end of WWII and is iIllustrated by the unique Albery Poster Collection.

FLASHING BLADES [Craft Gallery] 26 June to 30 August In its first decades the Museum had a number of weapons donated to it, from spears to rifles, and knives to shields. Few of these have been displayed in recent years, and this exhibition offers a chance to explore one of the Museum’s more unusual collections.

PETER AND SARAH SLIGHT [Art Gallery] 10 July to 30 August Peter and Sarah Slight combine their interests in art and photography in this playful exhibition that showcases their main influences, including folktales and fables, 1960s and ’70s design, woodlands and nature.

QUIZ NIGHT

19 July 2014. Starts at 7.00 pm sharp. Tickets costing £12.00 include a fish and chip supper.

FORTHCOMING EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

FHM COMMITTEE

Liz Harvey, Maureen Radbourne, Julie Mitchell, Jenny Cheal, Gail Mackintosh Chairman: Jonathan England; Secretary: Audrey Coventry; Treasurer: Brian Frogley Officers can be contacted in writing: Horsham Museum, 9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sx. RH12 1HE www.horshamposters.com