THE LAMORNA SOCIETY
The Flagstaff
The Flagstaff is The Lamorna Society Magazine and is published twice a year, in June and December. It features important new research, anecdotes of life in Lamorna in past years, reviews of books and exhibitions of interest, an assessment of what interesting paintings and other material has come onto the market recently, as well as accounts of the visits organised by the Society during the year and its annual gathering in West Penwith each Autumn. The Honorary Editor is David Tovey.
Issue No 53 Summer 2024
Editorial
It has been very exciting to hear about the new findings, including documents, photos and ephemera, of 'Chyangweal' which had been originally been built for Robert and Eleanor Hughes in 1911. Some of these take us on unexpected journeys involving the Scott expedition to Antartica in 1901-4 and Charles Dickens' home for fallen women where Robert Hughes' grandmother was a much respected matron.
A number of the early photos of the Hughes at 'Chyangweal' derive from the Birch scrapbooks which have recently been generously donated to the Morrab Library.The images in these are currently being scanned and uploaded on the library website under the heading Lamorna Birch family photos. There are currently c.370 images available to view and I hope to be able to do features on aspects of these in subsequent issues.
There has been an astonishing wealth of Lamorna related paintings appearing on the market over the past six months so that the bulk of this issue discusses these.
In light of my piece in Issue 50 (Winter 2022) on the inspirations derived by Elizabeth Forbes from Trevelloe Wood, my attention was drawn to an article by the Canadian art historian, Samantha Burton, on Elizabeth Forbes' fairy tale King Arthur's Wood, which had been published back in 2013 in The Journal of Canadian Art, Vol.34, No 2.
The full title of the piece was A Canadian artist in King Arthur's court - Elizabeth Armstrong Forbes and the Colonial Invention of British Tradition. This sounded very interesting, and whilst it has not been possible to obtain a copy of the article, there is available on You Tube a video of Samantha Burton's lecture on the subject given as part of Imagining History: A Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Conference, held at Concordia University in May 2012.
The Lamorna Society Summer weekend proved yet another enjoyable event involving a walking tour of Penzance, the Harold Harvey exhibition at Penlee House, a visit to the magical setting of the Woodcutters' cabin at Chy-an-Goverrow and a visit to the garden of novelist, Patrick Gale, and sculptor, Aiden Hicks.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
News from 'Chyangweal'
Paintings from Lamorna Birch collection of Sir John Roberts
Lay's January sale
The Collection of John and Pep Branfield
Other Market News
Lamorna Society Summer Weekend 7-9 June
Articles by Anne forrest, Susanne Forrest, Ben Maudsley, Anita Plume and Jenny Williamson
A Canadian Artist in King Arthur's Court-
Elizabeth Armstrong Forbes and the Colonial Invention of British Tradition
Tale from the Newspapers
Forthcoming Events
Issue No 52 Winter 2023
The principal article in this Issue reveals how a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in a meadow at Crean, St Buryan, in 1929, led not only to the establishment of The Minack Theatre by Rowena Cade but also to an annual Cornish Festival of open air Shakespearean plays under the direction of Ernest Peirce which enjoyed considerable success and much publicity in the 1930s. It was Peirce who instigated the creation of open air theatre in Penlee Park in 1948 and this has accordingly, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.
During the Lamorna Colony Pioneers exhibition at Penlee House, I met Dave Balow and his wife, who had lent work to the show, and he recalls his attempt to get Penlee House to acquire Laura Knight's seminal painting of Lamorna Cove, which had been exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1920 and how he discovered that it had been subsequently been altered by the artist.
As reported by the Chairman, the various events organised over the AGM weekend were well attended and enjoyed, including the Sheila Hichens Trust Exhibition exhibited on St Michael's Mount. This has been a very worthy project.
The Autumn exhibition at Penlee House has been A Passion for Cornish Art: 50 Years of Private Collecting, which features work from the collection of John and Pep Branfield and runs until 13 January. The Bramfields were former members of The Lamorna society and John has contributed a number of articles to Flagstaff over the years. John wrote a novel about the Newlyn School and important biographies of some Newlyn artists
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Chairman's Report
St Buryan origins of the trail-blazing Cornish open-air Shakespearean performances of the 1930s
The Knights paintings of Mornie Birch and her Doll
Lamorna Cove lament - how Cornwall just missed out on a Laura Knight masterpiece -Dave Balow
Market News
The Lamorna Society AGM weekend 6-8 October. Various including:
A Ferryboat Trip across the bay and an Art Exhibition on St Michael's Mount -Margaret Follows and Anne Forrest
Michael Potts (1938-2023)
Frank Ruhmund pieces
Lamorna A Memoir- Frank Ruhrmund
The Valley of Blood -Frank Ruhrmund
Lamorna (from Penwith Porms) - Frank Ruhrmund
Forthcoming Events
Issue No 51 Summer 2023
I have to admit that I approach my task as Editor in the post Lamorna books period with a certain amount of trepidation. In the past I have always found some area of the Lamorna Story that has not been delved into in depth before, but having supposedly done a thorough job in putting together a compete artistc, social and literary history of Lamorna, what else is there to include in these pages!! Well , on this occasion Elaine Marsh has come to the rescue by producing a fascinating study of the two suffragette ladies who built 'Chygurno' - seemingly the first new house built by outsiders. What a wonderful position they chose and, on a recent visit, I continued to marvel at the extraordinary garden that Robert and CArol Moule have created on the steep hillside.
Th publication of the Lamorna Books enabled me to persuade Penlee Gallery & Museum, Penzance to put on a Lamorna Exhibition, which entitled Lamorna colony Pioneers. I was keen that a number of paintings should be ones not previously seen at Penlee and so was delighted that we were able to include, for instance Alfred Munnings' depiction of the start of the St Buryan races from the Walker Art Gallery, liverpool, Laura Knight's depiction of Marjorie Taylor in My Lady of the Rocks, which I believe is the painting that attracted Colonel Mayes at her 1918 exhibition, Charles Thompson's 'Twixt Love and Duty' and Garstin Cox's Springtide, one of the paintings that caused 'all Artisitic London' to be talking about the 'extraordinary achievement' of the young 20 year old in 1913.
A visit to this exhibition was one of the features of the June weekend and it seemed sensible to delay this issue of The Flagstaff so that it could include reports on the weekend, rather than include accounts of both the main weekends in the Winter issue.
Contents:
Membership News
Chygurno and the Lamorna Suffragettes
Market News
Lamorna Society Visits -June Weekend in West Penwith
Mornie Kerr's 'Duffy and the Devil' puppets
Helen Maryella Piggott (1933-2023)
Derek and Jeannie Tangye and the Legacy of The Minach
Books to read - Seacoast of Bohemia by Louis Golding, The dream- Recollections of My Time at Lamorna, by Peter Brown
Tales from the Newspapers
4.1 Wreck of the Italian Brigantine Luigina Bianchetti at Lamorna in 1872
4.2 Dog poisoning story told by Charles Marriott was based on a real case
4.3 The final years of the Freeman Quarry at Lamorna
Forthcoming Events
Issue No 50 Winter 2022
As members will be aware, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Society and, as The Flagstaff has been produced consistently on a twice- yearly basis, this issue is accordingly, the 50th - a significant milestone, and one which the original founder members never envisaged. It is extraordinary that the Lamorna story is so rich and varied that new aspects continue to come to light. To mark this milestone and pay homage to Austin Wormleighton, whose inspirational biography of S.J. Lamorna Birch led to the formation of The Lamorna Society, and to all other members who, over the years, have made valued contributions to our knowledge of multifold aspects of life in the Valley, the Committee has asked me to produce a full history of the Colony. This will be called Lamorna - An Artistic, Social and LIterary History, and will now be in two volumes, with 1920 being the break date between them. Only 300 copies of each are being printed, and they will be available in December in time for Christmas. Volume 1 which is 248 A4 pages, will priced at £28, and Volume 2, which is 184 A4 pages, will be priced at £25. Postage will normally be £3.50 per book, and, due to Post Office scale of charges, each book will be sent separately. However the Committee have agreed a Special offer per membership - namely £50 per pair, postage within the UK free.
The principal article in this Issue, The Magic of Trevelloe Wood, relates to one of the most significant discoveries that I made during my research of the book - namely that Elizabeth Forbes should be considered one of the leading Lamorna artists, for it is now clear that she was constantly inspired by the magical atmosphere in Trevelloe Wood so that a large number of her wooded fancy paintings used that wood as their setting. Given that she hardly got a mention in a Lamorna context previously, this is a momentous discovery.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Chairman's Report
The Magic of Trevelloe Wood
Market News
Lamorna Society Visits:
Weekend in Polperro and Falmouth, 10-12 June 2022
AGM Weekend - 30 September- 2 October 2022
Angela June Wheeler (nee Gerard) ( 1934-2022)
Marie Estelle Fox (nee Hosking) (1928-2022)
Forthcoming Events
This issue features an extended piece on the Westrup sisters, one of whom were integral figures in the Lamorna community for some fifty years. Whilst Kate and Emily are familiar names, the presence of Margaret, a well-known novelist and her artist husband, Sydney Stacey, has rarely been recorded, whilst another sister, Mabel, was living in Oakhill Cottage at the time of the 1911 Census. I am indebted to Kate Kirk for supplying images of pottery and paintings by Kate Westrup, and I was particularly impressed by the quality of her paintings given that they are now totally unknown, albeit she had some success as an exhibitor. I am also grateful to Jane Hope for supplying images of some of seascapes by Sydney Stacey.
The visit of Augustus John and his common law wife, Dorelia, to Lamorna in 1914 clearly caused quite a stir, but there has been little attempt by John scholars to identify paintings produced by John during his visit.
Ithell Colquhoun's glowing reference to Monica Baldwin's account, written in Lamorna, of her life as a nun and of the trials that she experienced that she experienced when leaving her Order, persuaded me to buy her book 'I Leap Over the Wall'. In this she called her 'Cornish Orgy' and i was surprised to find that it contained evocative descriptive passages of her mystical connections with Cornish folk-lore and the 'living stones' that Colquhoun wrote about.
Whilst there have been accounts of the artists' connections with the Tibbett family at Holly Dale'. However Frank Pollard and his wife clearly also provided lodgings and assistance to a range of artists, such as Lionel Birch, Alfred Munnings and John Loble Barlow, whilst Laura Knight, who featured him in her destroyed painting 'March Many Weathers', recorded some of his amusing comments.
I confirm that I have completed a first draft of the history of the Lamorna Colony that the Society has asked me to write, to be called Lamorna-An Artistic, Social and Literary History, and the intention is that it will be published towards the end of this year to mark the 25th Anniversary.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership news
The Westrup Sisters (and Sydney Stacey) in Lamorna
The visit of Augustus John in early 1914
Monica Baldwin at 'The Magazine'
The Artists and the Pollard Family at 'Holly Dale'
Denys Law (1907-1981) - Anne Forrest
Sir Alfred and Lady Munnings - Sherriff family anecdotes - Sylvia Sherriff
The Year of the Formation of the Lamorna Colony - A New Date
Market News
Forthcomimg Events
In times when many societies are struggling to keep going, it is testament to this Society that forty members were prepared to gather in West Penwith in September for this year's AGM weekend.
During the last six months, I have been working on the history of the Lamorna colony that the Society has asked me to write and I have been surprised at the wealth of new material that I have uncovered, as well as numerous other Lamorna related paintings that had previously passed me by. In the next couple of issues, I will be flagging up some of the snippets.One memorable day was spent at Penlee House Gallery looking through the Madge Fawkes scrapbook. I have to admit that she was not a name that i had associated with Lamorna before, until I saw a reference to her 'Lamorna Alphabet' in a display case at a Penlee exhibition. The material in her scrapbook is quite fascinating, and includes a range of work given to her by her contemporaries, as well as some interesting and unusual ephemera and photographs. it was during this visit that I (and Penlee) discovered that, in the Caroline Fox archive that it holds, there is a typed copy of the full intermittent diary of Fryn Tennyson Jesse, running some 120 pages, albeit covering only the period from mArch to September 1908. I hope in subsequent issues to reproduce sections of this in their entirety, as it is quite the best insight into the riotous life of the Forbes students at the time and demonstrates that the distance between Lamorna and Newlyn did not put off the 'Lamorna contingent' led by Munnings, from joining in the fun. In going through the diary, comments made by Fryn led me to the conclusion that an overlooked letter reproduced in the first Issue of the 'Paperchase', the magazine of the Forbes students that Fryn edited, had to be none other than Alfred Munnings.
I discovered many more fascinating information and images- sketches by local boy Walter Tremenheere, Richard Weatherby, Angela Wheeler's writings about her mother Marjorie Taylor, who modelled for both Munnings and Laura Knight, Nick and Jessie Jory who ran 'Cliff House Hotel' and 'the Lamorna Inn'. There is much much more but it will have to wait for another issue.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Chairman's Statement
Madge Fawkes Scrapbook and the Lamorna Alphabet
The Piper
Marjorie Taylor- Pinning Down the Pin-Up
Alfred Munnings' contribution to The Paperchase (1908)
Jesse and Nick Jory - and a Munnings Dog Kennel
Market News
The Tragedy Surrounding Mornie Birch's first 'fiance'
Lamorna Society AGM Weekend
The St Buryan droll 'Duffy and The Devil'
Books to Read - Newlyn -When the Artists Came by Pam Lomax
Some light at the end of the tunnel, but I anticipate that many will still feel wary for quite some while of socialising indoors. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict at this juncture what shape our AGM weekend will take place this year. It was nice, though, to see many familiar faces again, when I gave my Zoom talks on Polperro earlier in the year. It was particularly good that Angela Wheeler could join us.
Last year I looked in more detail at the family of Phyllis Vipond Crocker, one of Laura Knight's most regular models, and was not at all prepared for the tragic story that unfolded. John and Peter Adams, Phyllis' nephews, and Natasha de Chroustchoff, half sister to Phyllis' son, Igor, have all been very generous in provision of information and images.
The appearance at auction of some of Laura Knight's boxing paintings has led John Croft to unearth some fascinating details about this aspect of Laura's career and about the fate of her work in a large Japanese collection.
Peter Crisp and Alan Case, both Crosbie Garstin fans, have been in touch having read my biography of him. IN addition to owning his War Medals, Alan has let me have sight if a letter written by Crosbie relating to the re-institution of the Lamorna Sports in 1928, which draws attention to the presence in Lamorna for a short period of the charlatan, Frederick Mitchell- Hedges.
John Shapcott, who previously wrote a piece for the magazine on Arnold Bennett in Lamorna, has written a review of Eden Philpott's Lying Prophets, which prompted me to obtain a copy, and I too can heartily recommend it. This Issue's short story is Charles Marriott's enchanting The Nineteen Merry Maidens, from his very difficult to find short story collection, Women and the West.
There is no space for a full Market News section. However, in April this year, an attractive oval picture frame in silver and enamel by Ella Naper was sold at David Lay's for £1,300. This was of particular interest as it contained a photo of Houghton Birch, Lamorna Birch's wife, (see inside back cover). Her work does seem to be in fashion at the moment as a silver pendant fetched £1,000 in 2019). In February a number of typical Robert Hughes landscapes came up at John Nicholson/s, whilst further examples appeared on eBay. The best by far was a colourful rendition of the Cove - see p.34. David Lay's May sale also included Mornie Birch's unusual pig guest Book (see back cover). I have also included ob p.36 a Simpson of the stream at Clapper Mill, which i missed when it sold for £7,000 in 2018.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Chairman's Statement & Message from your Chairman and Committee Members
The Tragic Tale of the Crocker Family
Laura Knight's Boxing Pictures
Crosbie Garstin - Our Very Own Vagabond
THe 1928 Lamorna sports - Crosbie Garstin & Frederick Mitchell-Hedges
Books to read - Eden Philpott's Lying Prophets
Polperro -Cornwall's Forgotten Art Centre - DT's Zoom Presentations
Lamorna Short Stories - 2. Charles Marriott's The Nineteen Merry Maidens
Forthcoming Events
These strange times are lasting far longer than we all hoped and it will be nice when we can relax in each other's company and catch up on the news and gossip of the Lamorna Society and its members. The highlight has been the very generous bequests by Austin Wormleighton, not only the £5000, but also a mass of archival material.The lack of social activities this year means that The Flagstaff is a particularly important means of communication for members and articles represent the continuing on-line research. The 1911 Diary of Anna Hills, a student of John Noble Barlow, who went on to become a key figure in the Laguna Colony in California, is an unique document and is fascinating both for it does record and what it does not.
An attractively illustrated example of one of Crosby Garstin's Tally-Ho Ballads was digitalised by the British Newspaper Archive and is a colour reproduction is included
in this edition. Also the collection of images of Eleanor Hughes'etchings reveals what a distinctive contribution she made.
It has been puzzling how Harry Musgrave got a mention as an early Lamorna artist and the article how this occurred and and that it is a mistake. Arthur Musgrave, who, despite being dismissed by the Myrtage set went on to become successful in America.
It was planned to include some short stories by Lamorna writers, which have been hard to find. However, the first is Cecil Sidgwick's quietly amusing Coronation Day in our Parish. Andrew Gordon supplied me with a couple of letters by Stanhope Forbes, containing his critique of Newlyn Show Day in 1916. These contain some fascinating comments and reveal some tensions between the Newlyn and Lamorna groups!
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Chairman's Report
The 1911 Lamorna Diary of Anna Althea Hills
Crosbie Garstin's Tally-Ho Ballad, Paddy Duveen
The Etchings of Eleanor Hughes
Harry and Arthur Musgrave
Market News
Lamorna Short Stories- 1. Coronation Day in our Parish by Cecily Sidgwick
Stanhope Forbes on Newlyn Show Day 19167
Forthcoming Events
As you well know, it is an understatement to say that the past few months have been difficult, challenging and worrying times. Our hearts go out to the families of David Evans, our Patron, and of Keith Gardiner, another founder member, who, as you will have heard, have each passed away recently, albeit not as a result of the virus. One of our members who has had a real battle with Covid 19 is Robin Hanbury-Tenison, the celebrated explorer, who spoke at last year's AGM on his Cornish Art Collection.
The cover picture shows a fascinating painting by Gladys Hynes of a group of nude and semi-clad female bathers in a cove that had echoes of Lamorna. The artist was lesser known, but perhaps more superior, than the more lauded names of the St Hilary Church art ensemble. Liss Lewellyn, who is related to the artist agreed to write an article about the Hynes works she knows and, in particular, this work called Morning, which she dates to 1916. She is very keen to hear from any member who may have further knowledge about Hynes or the whereabouts of other paintings. Also included in this issue is the second part of the article by Roger Roskrow and myself on the two Dollys that modelled for Laura Knight. There is a piece on Ruth Adams, who fell off the cliffs at Lamorna, and whose body was never found.
The pandemic has meant that both the Spring trip to Falmouth and the JUne weekend in West Penwith have been cancelled, and the Laura Knight exhibition at Penlee House has been postponed to next year.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
David Evans (1938-2020)
Keith Gardiner (1934-2020)
New Members
Gladys Hynes 'Morning' c. 1916
Laura Knight's Two Models called Dolly -Part Two - Dolly Henry
Ruth Adams - Redefining the 'The Victim'
Books to Read
Alfred Munnings and Laura Knight, once again are the principal focus in this issue. In Munnings' case, this is because Penlee House held the first exhibition devoted to his cornish experiences this Summer, and this proved a great success with visitors. In Laura Knight's case, it is because some fascinating research, by Roger Roskow, has led us on a trail in search of more information about two of Laura Knight's models, who were each called Dolly- Dolly Snell and Dolly Henry. In this issue we concentrate on Dolly Snell, who went on to marry Harold Knight's brother, Edgar, and settle in New Mexico, and we unveil fascinating new material as to her career as a dancer, both before and after her time as a model for a number of leading artists of the day. we also feel we have identified a number of paintings for which she modelled for the Knights.
Susanne also alerts us to another Laura Knight exhibition- this time at the royal Academy.
There are reports in this issue relating to the AGM weekend at the end of September, which was well attended and combined a range of interesting events, with time to socialise together.
The Lamorna and the War series comes to an end, with a long piece on the paintings of Ernest Proctor, who worked in the Lamorna Valley, as early as 1906 and who marries Dod Shaw, whose. family lived at 'Oakhill Cottage' for a number of years.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Jim Hosking
Hugh Heaven
On becoming a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh
Chairman's Report
Munnings in Cornwall- Summer Exhibition at Penlee House
Royal Academy Exhibition: Laura knight - A Working Life
Laura Knight's Two Models called Dolly - Part 1
Prudence Staples -A London Model of Laura Knight from 1910
Market News
Lamorna society AGM Weekend
Lamorna and the War - Ernest Proctor's War
Books to Read
Forthcoming Events
Without Austin Wormleighton, there would be no Lamorna society, for it was the gathering together, at the 1997 major Lamorna Birch Retrospective Exhibition at Falmouth Art Gallery, of the contacts that Austin had made during his extensive research into the artist's life that led directly to the formation of the Society.
Accordingly, as we mourn his death, it seems only appropriate that a Special Issue of The Flagstaff should be devoted to a celebration not only of his input and influence upon the Society, but also of his life and his careers as both journalist and art historian and of the special qualities that made him the most personable and humane of men.
This Issue draws on the tributes paid at Austin's memorable and moving funeral service, which was held at Salisbury Crematorium, and reminiscences from a range of people who were touched by Austin in different aspects of his life, as well as those of a number of our members.
Contents:
Editorial
Austin Wormleighton (2 September 1937 - 31 March 2019)
Personal Reminiscences of Austin by Lamorna society Members
Lamorna Society Events- Birch Anniversary Summer Weekend 7-9 June 2019
The Lamorna Archive - The Austin Wormleighton Collection, Pam Lomax, Helen Burnham & Sue Newton
Austin's 1999 Classic Angling Article - The Artist who was Skues' Companion
It was a considerable shock for all members to learn of the death, aged 81, of our President, Austin Wormleighton, on 31 March at Taunton Hospital. Without Austin, there would be no Lamorna society, for it was his extensive research into the life and career of Samuel John Lamorna Birch that brought together the founder members.
Rosemary Wing contacted the Society. Her husband, David, was the great grandson of John Jeffrey, the only fisherman in the Cove during Birch's time, and her account of John's life and his inter-reaction with the artists is of great interest.
There has been considerable publicity this year concerning the exhibition of Alfred Munnings' war paintings, done for the Canadians during 1918, which was first held at the National Army Museum, London and then at Munnings Art Museum at Dedham.
The Lamorna Society Spring Weekend visited Dedham, where members saw the Exhibition in the special setting of Munnings' own home.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
John Jeffery - Fisherman of Lamorna
The Extraordinary story of Annie Dodd of Borah Fruit Farm
Alfred Munnings: War Artist 1918 - National Army Museum EXhibition
Lamorna Society Events - Spring Weekend - Dedham, Essex
Laura Knight Daughters of the Sun
Market News
Lamorna and the War
Ben Jeffery's War
Fryn Tennyson Jesse's War
Crosbie Garstin's War - Part 5 - Demolishing 'The Hairies' and More Mudlarks
Tales from the Newspapers
3. Some Further quarry Stories
Forthcoming Events
The major Lamorna Birch retrospective at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, with which our President, Austin Wormleighton, was intimately involved, has been the highlight of the last six months and a Society event in West Penwith was organised to coincide with its opening in JUne. We also enjoyed a very busy schedule over our AGM weekend at the end of September, during which one of the highlights was a visit to the fascinating Mousehole studio of royal Academician, Ken Howard, who gave a very entertaining talk. Accounts of all our activities over these two weekends have resulted in an extra large edition on this occasion.
Given that Pamela Lomax, our Archivist and my predecessor as Editor, lives in, and often generously entertains us in ' Wheal Betsy', the home built by Thomas Gotch. When I learned that recently joined member, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, had decided to part with his own extensive collection of Gotch Paintings and studies, there
was, accordingly, no more appropriate person than Pam to write about the importance of this collection and how the pair had worked together whilst Pam had been researching her Gotch biography.
John Beresford, whose entertaining lecture on local farms was another special occasion during the AGM weekend.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership news
Chairman's Report - Jenny Williamson
Entranced by a Special Place - Austin Wormleighton
Market News
The Robin Hanbury-Tenison collection of Newlyn Paintings at Bearne's - Pam Lomax
Other Market News
Lamorna Society Gatherings
Summer WeekendAGM Weekend
Lamorna at War
The Adventures of Captain Denis Garstin MC DSO
Crosbie Garstin's War - Part 4 - A rewarding Finale
Tales from the Newspapers
The Owen Quarry at Lamorna
Forthcoming Events
No art historian can write about the story of art in Newlyn or Lamorna without mentioning the name Fryn Tennyson Jesse, for her 'Intermittent Dairy is one of the best sources on the bohemian lifestyle of the artists in the two colonies in the Edwardian era. Susanne Forrest has written a full and truly excellent account of the life of this 'Golden Girl', which, despite its many achievements, included more than a fair share of angst.
Ken Hall, the Director of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waihetu, New Zealand sent me through listings that he had made of the exhibits of local girl, Eleanor Hughes (and her husband Robert) in New Zealand and copies of reviews published locally of her exhibits in both New Zealand and England. This issue includes looks at the pre-1917 period, which throws considerable new light on the early career of this neglected Lamorna stalwart.
The 'Lamorna and the War' section looks at another different aspect of the conflict- the difficulties caused in the community by Harold Knight's pacifist stance.
A new section 'Tales from the Newspapers' is introduced. It is fascinating to hear how Lamorna made it into the newspapers during the 19th Century long before writers and artists though about settling there.
Due to the forthcoming major John Lamorna Birch retrospective at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance this summer, attention has been focussed on organising a weekend in West Penwith to coincide with the opening of this exhibition and the Archive Open Day.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Fryn Tennyson Jesse - The Golden Girl
Early New Zealand exhibits of Eleanor and Robert Hughes
Lamorna Homes 7 - 'Bodriggy''
Lamorna and War - 'Harold Knight's War '
Tales from the Newspapers - 1 Wrecks 1820 - 1870
Forthcoming Events
In the initial Chairman's Reports in The Flagstaff, written by Angela Wheeler, you detect an element of surprise that membership numbers had not declined, as the initial enthusiasm waned, but had, in fact, increased. From the start, not only did members share an interest in the artistic and literary heritage, natural beauty and history of Lamorna Valley, but developed new and long-lasting friendships. That important aspect of the Society has continued and has been crucial in enabling the Society to reach the very commendable milestone of its twentieth anniversary. As I tried to record in the AGM lecture, the contributions that a wide variety of members have made during the Society's existence to a significantly greater knowledge of a vast array of Lamorna related topics has been remarkably impressive. We also owe a great debt to all those who have served on the Committee over the years, particularly those who drove miles to meetings in the early years. Our special anniversary finds the Society in fine fettle and there is no reason why the next twenty years should not be equally rewarding and enjoyable.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Chairman's Report - Anne Forrest & Jenny Williamson
John Armstrong: The Lamorna Years - in context - Jonathan Gibbs
Lamorna Homes
6. Rosemerrin (aka Rosemerryn)
Lamorna Visits:
June Weekend in West Penwith- 16-18 June
20th Anniversary AGM Weekend
Lamorna and the War:
The First World War experiences and paintings of Sir Alfred Munnings- Bill Teatherredge
Laura Knight's War: The 1918 exhibition 'Camp Life and Other Pictures'
Dylan Thomas in Cornwall, with reference to Joe Martin's manuscript In the Dylan Days
Forthcoming events
On 24 March 2017, the Newlyn Archive celebrated the launch of its project Delivering the Admiralty Boathouse for Heritage at its future home, The Admiralty Boathouse, 23 The Strand, Newlyn TR18 5HL. The project aims to make the old Coastguard's Boathouse and more recent Newlyn Post Office the centre of Heritage in Newlyn by locating the Newlyn Archive/The West Cornwall Art Archive/The Lamorna Archive there. As part of the June weekend, members of the Society will be able to attend a reception at the new home of our Archive. The whole project is a tremendous achievement, with Pam Lomax and Ron Hogg very much to the fore.
Susanne Forrest has produced a fascinating article on Hannah Gluckstein (Gluck). It appears that others are beginning to look again at the life and career of this unusual character
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Further obituary of Adam Kerr
Gluck - No prefix, No suffix, No quotes
The Widowhood of Bell Leader
Lamorna Homes 5 - Trewoofe Orchard
Market News
Lamorna Society Visits - Falmouth
Lamorna and The War - Crosbie Garstin's War Part 3, Front Line Action during 1917
Books to read
Forthcoming Events
It was with considerable shock to hear news of the death of our Patron, Adam Kerr, the grandson of SJ Lamorna Birch. Childhood companions, David Evans and Angela Wheeler, record their memories of Adam's youth, whilst our President Austin Wormleighton, remembers the considerable support that he received from him during the completion of his biography of Adam's grandfather.
There is a contribution from Marcia Whiting, on behalf of Munnings Art Museum, following the bequest to that Gallery by Igor Chroustchoff of a sletch by Alfred Munnings of Igor's mother, Phyllis Vipond-Crocker. Members may recall that Issue 24 (Winter 2009) contained an article by Igor on his mother's youth, which was illustrated by two paintings and a sketch of her by Laura Knight. These included the painting The Cornish Coast, owned by the National Museum of Wales. John Adams, Phyllis' nephew, has also supplied further images of paintings for which Phyllis modelled and copies of letters to her from Knight and Munnings.
The Lamorna homes selected for this issue is Vallensagia, the home of Cecily Sidgwick. This is the cottage that she called None-Go-By and described at length in her novel of that name, but what has not been appreciated previously is that its garden features in a number of charming illustrations by Winifred CAyley Robinson in Cecily's The Children's Book of Gardening, which she wrote jointly with Colonel Paynter's wife. In the Lamorna and The War series, the piece on Richard Weatherby is naturally very reliant on the research originally done by Davis Bradfield.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Chairman's Report
Memories of Adam Kerr (1933-2016)
Phyllis Vipond Crocker
The Streams of St Bride by Ithell Colquhoun: An Occult Neighbourhood Watch
Lamorna Homes 4: Vallensagia
Market News
Lamorna Society Visits- June Literary Weekend in West Penwith, AGM Weekend
Lamorna and The War - Richard Weatherby's War, Andrew Gordan's Talk on the centenary of Alec Forbes death
Books to read
Forthcoming Events
The exhibition at Penlee House Gallery & Museum earlier this year, Ithell Colquhoun: Image and Imagination, was the first at a public gallery since her death in Lamorna in 1988. For most people it was their first introduction to her work, which combined naturalistic painting with experiments in surrealism and abstraction and often involved some unusual techniques such as decalcomania, frottage and fumage. However, member Frank Ruhrmund, knew her quite well and has produced a fascinating review of the show. The exhibition revealed what an extraordinarily interesting woman she was, and Angela Wheeler, founder member and past Chairman mentions Ithell's book The Living Stones as her favourite book of Lamorna.
The next Penlee exhibition, Fred Hall From Newlyn School to Caricature, was also an eye opener. Fred Hall has not received much coverage before, and the works by him that have generally been included previously in Newlyn School exhibitions have not really alerted one to his diverse talents not just as a social realist painter, but also as a landscape impressionist and a consummate animal and bird painter. Maryella Pigott has provided a fascinating piece on her home Trewoofe House, for this issue's Lamorna home slot. The Lamorna at War section includes pieces on Bengy Leader and Crosbie Garstin.
Contents:
Editorial
Membership News
Ithell Coquhoun: Image and Imagination
The multi-talented Frank Hall
Lamorna Homes 3- Trewoofe House
Market News
Job Nixon in Lamorna
Graham Dingle
Lamorna Society Visit to Liverpool/Birkenhead
Lamorna and The War - Bengy Leader, Crosbie Garstin
Books to read
Forthcoming events
Welcome to another larger than normal issue. The award of 'Most Inspirational Archive and Heritage group of 2014' is a tremendous accolade for the combined Newlyn/Lamorna Archive and full credit is due to Pam Lomax, who has masterminded its development and its Open Days. Ann Forrest, our Chairman has contributed a number of articles to this issue. In addition, David Tovey's piece inspired by Elizabeth Forbes' article, An April Holiday, in which she recorded activities of her students in Lamorna in April 1907. The Lamorna at War series continues with an article on the author Cecily Sidgwick, whose strong German connections raised issues, whilst John Whittaker has also researched Algernon Newton's war. The Lamorna Homes series moves to Menwinnion, thanks to Hugh Bedford, whilst Brian Whitton has reviewed the recent Tunnard exhibition, and Adam Kerr has written a fascinating piece on his father's successful career as an author.
Contents:
Editorial
New Members
Chairman's Report
'Most Inspirational Archive and Heritage Group of 2014'
Elizabeth Forbes sketching groups in Lamorna
Lamorna quarry - When the Quarry guns sounded
John Tunnard: Nature, Politics and Science at Durham University
Lamorna Homes 2: Menwinnion
Market News
Lamorna Society Events- June Weekend in West Penwith, Lamorna Society AGM weekend
Lamorna and the War -Cecily Sidgwick's War, Algernon Newton's War
Books to read
Forthcoming events
This issue includes the extraordinary work that Pam Lomax has been doing on the Newlyn Archive, and the interest that she has aroused through her Open Days that has also been a great boon to the Society and its archive. The archive is now housed in her annexe. Our chairman Anne Forrest has spent several weeks interviewing locals and getting precious new information and images for our records. Her piece on Estelle Fox, and the family's involvement with Kemyel Mills is just one example.
There is the second instalment to the 'Lamorna and the War' series and the first of a series of articles on 'Lamorna Homes', which is an account by Adam Kerr on the changes to Flagstaff Cottage.
Contents:
Editorial
New Members
Kemyel Mills, Lamorna
Australian artist who hailed Lamorna as 'a vista of fairyland'
Market News
The Milk Cart by Frank Heath
Other Market News
Lamoorna Society Visits - Nottingham 8-10 May
The Lamorna society Archive
'Friends of Lamorna
Lamorna and the War
Frank Heath's War
Crosbie Garstin's War (Part Two): The Blinded Mole
Books to Read
Forthcoming Events
This is another bumper issue following contact with relatives of Benjamin Eastlake Leader, always known as Bengy, and his wife Bell Anderson. Their grand-daughter Rosemary Dick Cleveland lives happily with her husband in their former holiday home in a valley above Lake Bala in mid-Wales without mains water and electricity. Their collection of paintings by Bengy and Bell, and by Bengy's illustrious father, Benjamin Williams Leader RA had to be viewed by torchlight.
Contents:
Editorial
New Members
Chairman's report
Bengy and Bell Leader in Pre-War Lamorna
Marlow Moss (1889-1958)- Lamorna's member of the avant-garde
The Lamorna Inn- The Wink and Childhood Memories in Lamorna
Market News
The Lamorna Society AGM Weekend
Lamorna and the FirstWorld War
Crosbie Garstin's War (Part One): 'Getting There'
In Memoriam - Joey Carter Wood (1884-1915)
Books to read
Forthcoming Events
This issue has quite a Munnings slant, the items emanating from a wide variety of sources. David Tovey was contacted by Sara Alexander, the grand-daughter of Evelyn Hicks who was a model for both Munnings and Laura Knight. This led to the discovery that there were in fact two Munnings models called Evelyn!
Contents:
Editorial
New Members
A tale of two Lamorna models called Evelyn
T.P. & Edith Fielden: Continuing friendships with Newlyn painters
Market News
Lamorna Society Visits- The May weekend in Whitby and Staithes
Archive Open Day- The Good Friday Walk to Lamorna
Lamorna- A Memoir
Beyond Lamorna, Paul Feiler at Kerris
Books to Read, Trewoofe Manor as Crosbie Garstin's 'Bosula' or 'The Owl's House'
Forthcoming Attractions
It is always exciting when completely new information about the Lamorna Colony comes to light, and this issue contains some important and fascinating new research.
Contents:
Editorial
Chairman’s report
New Members
TP& Edith Fielden: 20th century connections with Newlyn painters
The creative and caring spirits of the Yglesias sisters
The mystery of the Lamorna Cross solved
Jonathan Smith on ‘Summer in February’ at Malvern Theatre
Exhibition – From Newlyn to Lamorna, featuring works of Eric Ward
Market News
Lamorna Society AGM Weekend
Sheila Hale: An Appreciation
Death of Mary Bowring: champion of the Society
Beyond Lamorna: A Note on Mrs Katie Handyside
Books to Read: Cecily Sedgewick –In Other days (1915)
Forthcoming Attractions
A bumper edition of Flagstaff, which celebrates the exhibition and film, Summer in February. Also it has been an exciting six months for lovers of Cornish art. Earlier this year, the Bulldog Trust hosted, at Two Temple Place, the exhibition - Amongst Heroes- The Artist in Working Cornwall – the first exhibition of representational Cornish art in London since 1979.
Contents:
Editorial
New Members
Lamorna’s Women’s Institute
Australia’s ‘Little Corot’ who called her home ‘Lamorna’
Algernon Newton (1880-1968) – Rediscovered
Memories of ‘Cliff Cottage’
Thomas Gotch and the Ruby Mystery
Market News
John Ernest Nash – Obituary
A 1930 Lamorna Gathering of possible historic interest?
Lamorna Visits – Two Temple Place & ‘Summer in February’ Weekend
Beyond Lamorna: Denis Mitchell & John Wells at Trewarveneth Studio
Books to Read: Jim Hosking – Cornish Connections
Christies – A Life with Art
Forthcoming Events