I have recently acquired a Wedgwood medallion commemorating a Loan Exhibition of Wedgwood held by the Liverpool Art Club in 1879. I am having great difficulty finding any details of this club other than passing references in various publications. This exhibition is mentiond in the catalogue of the "Exhibition of Old Wedgwood belonging to Arthur Sanderson" held in Edinburgh in 1901 as being one of only two exhibitions of Old Wedgwood held in the last quarter of the 19th century, the other being the Burslem Centenary Exhibition of 1895.
Can you or any of your members help me with details of this club, such as when it was in existence, membership, etc., or direct me to possible sources of information. This exhibition has added significance in that it was largely made up of pieces from the Joseph Mayer collection, a great deal of which was subsequently destroyed in 1941.
I have attached pictures of the medallion and its' original case bearing the stamp of Wm Woodhouse of Dublin.
Yours sincerely,
Anthony Pulford
There are many references to the Liverpool Art Club in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper (407 by my search on "Gale 19C Newspapers" - mainly advertisements for its many exhibitions etc, but also occsional reports of the exhibitions and the activities of the club itself).
ReplyDeleteFrom Refs 1 and 2 Initially a very short note and then an advertisement January 13 and 16 1873 for their first holding of an exhibition: an Oriental Art exhibition at the Club Rooms, 6 Sandon Terrace, Upper Duke St. (Sandon Terrace was behind the Liverpool Institute High School - now LIPA, and became part of the school yards - also behind the Liverpool Art College next door to the Liverpool Institute)
In 1874 The Club moved to new larger premises in Sugnall Street on the corner with Myrtle Street (behind the present Philharmonic Hall)
To finally Ref 398 of 29 January 1895 the basic details of the Final Annual General Meeting of the Club held at its Gallery in Upper Parliament St, and its winding up.
Ref 137 of 24 July 1878 tells of the Liverpool Art Club's intention to hold the Wedgewood exhibition in the coming season and requests persons to lend their "pieces" for the exhibition
Ref 148 of 4 February 1879 gives a reasonably detailed description of the Wedgewood Exhibition, formally opened the previous day at the Liverpool Art Club's Rooms in Sugnall Street. The Exhibition was for four months.
I hope this information helps.
JL