25 years | 25 objects | 25 artists

Alma Ramsey-Hosking (1907-1993), Two Watchers on a Staircase, c.1960s

wo Watchers on a Staircase, c.1960s
 
Cement fondu and metal
 
Given by Sarah Hosking, 2019
 
Alma Ramsey-Hosking studied at the Royal College of Art in London during the 1920s and later moved to Warwickshire where she and her husband, the artist Richard ‘Dick’ Hosking, contributed to the creative boom that blossomed in the county during the post-war years. 
In this sculpture Ramsey-Hosking conveys a sense of movement through the dynamic poses of the figures and the partial spiral staircase. The attenuated, semi-abstracted figures of this work are typical of the style of many artists working in the period, as is Ramsey-Hosking’s choice of material, cement fondu.

David Teniers The Younger (1610-1690), The Temptation of St Anthony, c.1640-1660

The Temptation of St Anthony, c.1640-1660
 
Oil on panel
 
Bequeathed by Mr. George Watson through the Art Fund, 2015
 
This painting was bequeathed, along with other Dutch Golden Age works, by George Watson (1927-2013) who was a Professor of English at Cambridge University.
The story of the temptation of St Anthony has its roots in the medieval period. It tells of how the hermit St Anthony withstood demonic apparitions and temptations during his period of religious contemplation in the Egyptian desert. 
Whilst the primary purpose of the painting was to offer religious inspiration, the grotesque demons and unusual imagery also allowed viewers to contemplate these sins from a safe distance. The Temptation of St Anthony was an incredibly popular subject and one which the artist repeated many times. 

Lucy Kemp Welch, Old Grey Mare with her Foal

Old Grey Mare with her Foal, date unknown
 
Oil on card
 
Purchased, 2009
 
Kemp-Welch is known for her paintings of animals, especially horses. As an illustrator she brought to life Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty – the Autobiography of a Horse and her skill and commitment to her subject resulted in her being elected the first president of the Society of Animal Painters in 1914. This small and quiet study of a horse and her foal can be viewed in contrast to Winter’s White Silence, a significant work by Kemp-Welch which is on display in Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum’s permanent collection. 

Dorothy Annan (1900-1983), Sketch for Leamington Life, c. 1940

Sketch for Leamingtonian Life, c. 1940
 
Gouache on hardboard 
 
Given by Sebastian Tennant, 2021
 
Leamington Spa was one of the main bases for camouflage research during the Second World War and during the 1990s Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum began acquiring items relating to the work of camouflage staff.
 
During the Second World War, communal feeding stations, renamed British Restaurants by Winston Churchill, were set up throughout Britain to provide unrationed meals to those who had been bombed out, lost their ration books or been relocated for war work. In 1942, a group of artists, including Annan, painted a series of murals for Leamington’s British Restaurant to encourage a positive and uplifting atmosphere for customers. Annan’s sketch shows her design for the mural depicting a compressed townscape including Jephson Gardens and Royal Pump Rooms.

Terry Frost, Untitled, 2003

Untitled, 2003  
 
Painted steel
 
Given by the Friends of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum (FLAG), 2019
 
When Terry Frost died, he was working on a commission for a large-scale sculpture for the new University Hospital of Coventry & Warwickshire, due to open in 2006. The financial implications were complicated and unfortunately this commission did not happen. The rights to the maquette were subsequently acquired by the Estate of Terry Frost and the Beaux Arts Gallery, which produced a limited number of small models. The design is a manifestation of the shapes visible in Frost’s two-dimensional work. One can only imagine how impressive a nine-foot version of this sculpture would have looked at the entrance to the hospital.
 

John Bridgeman (1916-2004), Manipulator, c.1950

Manipulator, c.1950
 
Bronze
 
Given by Jane Bridgeman and M.A. Michael,  2024
 
The sculptor John Bridgeman studied at the Colchester School of Art and the Royal College of Art. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War. A conscientious objector, Bridgeman worked for the Civil Defence Service rescuing people bombed during the Blitz.  
Bridgeman created figures with distorted heads some devil-like and others suggesting a mutant form of humanity. The most disturbing of all these figures is one he named (against his normal practice) the Manipulator. The word itself suggests a sinister distortion of humanity that has consciously deviated from its natural behaviour. The gesture of the figure, with right arm extended and palm held flat towards the viewer, suggests a signal to stop.

Protest Banner

Made about 1991
 
Given by Janet Alty in 1999
 
This is one of nine protest banners acquired in January 1999 as the Art Gallery & Museum team were preparing the new displays at the Royal Pump Rooms. It was made by children in protest to the Gulf War (1990-91). Due to its size, it is difficult to display often. It is still important to have it in the collection as an example of the strong anti-war sentiment at the time. Protest materials are something we are keen to continue adding to our collection. Please speak to a member of staff if you have something you would like to donate to us.

Photograph of Christine Daly at the Cubbington Carnival in 1958

Given by Christine Daly in 2010
 
The year before this photograph was taken Christine Daly contracted Polio. She spent several weeks in Warwick Hospital and also received hydrotherapy treatment at the Royal Pump Rooms. Christine shared her experience of being ill and the treatment she received with us in a recorded oral history interview. She also donated an arm support, which you can see in the Medical History Gallery.
 
Christine’s story is one of many we hold about the people who were treated in the building. We are exploring how we can better present the stories of health and wellness linked to the building. Let us know if you have any thoughts about this.

Miss Great Britain trophy

Made by Josiah Williams & Co., 1925
 
Purchased in 2002
 
Jennifer Chimes won the Miss Great Britain beauty contest in 1955, when she was aged 22. She went on to be a runner up in the Miss World competition and returned to Leamington a celebrity. Today, beauty pageants are considered by some to be sexist and an outdated form of entertainment. How can we explain objects like this in a way that is mindful of their past, but also considers changes in attitudes? 

Clutch For A Reliant car

Made by Automotive Products about 1990
 
Given by John Hughes in 2007
 
This item was collected in the lead up to an exhibition about local working life, which ran in 2008. Temporary exhibitions often provide a focus for collecting activities and enable us to fill gaps in the collection. A big gap that we’re aware of is material relating to the lives of people who came to Leamington from Ireland and the Indian sub-continent to work in local factories such as AP and Ford. Please speak to a member of staff if you have something to share.