LEEDS ARTS CALENDAR LEEDS ARTS CALENDAR MICROFILMED Starting with the first issue published in 1947, the entire Leeds Art Calendar is now available on micro- film. Write for information or send orders direct to: University Microfilms, Inc., 300N Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, U.S.A. Leeds Art Collections Fund fhis is an appeal to all who are interested in the Arts. The Leeds Art Collections Fund is the source of regular funds for buying works of art for the Leeds collection. We want more subscribing members to give one and a half guineas or upwards each year. Why not identify yourself with the Art Gallery and Temple Newsam; receive your Arts Calendar free, receive invitations to all functions, private views and organised visits to places of interest, by writing for an application form to the Cover Design Hon Treasurer, E. AL Arnold Esq,, Buttrrleg~ Street, Leeds 10 Detail of oak panel from the Bretton Room at Temple Newsam, c. 1540 LEEDS ARTS GALENDAR No. 68 1971 THE AMENITIES COMMITTEE The Lord Mayor Alderman J. T. V. Watson, LL.B (Chairman) Alderman T. W. Kirkby Contents Alderman A. S. Pedley, D.F.c. Alderman S. Symmonds Gouncillor P. N. H. Clokie Councillor R. I. Fllis, A.R.A.M. Editorial 2 Councillor J. H. Farrell Councillor Mrs. E. Haughton Two Wentworth Houses 5 Councillor Mrs. D. E. Jenkins Councillor Mrs. A. Malcolm Gouncillor Miss C. A. Mathers New on the Firm of Seddon 17 Light Councillor D. Pedder, J.p., Ms.c. Councillor Mrs. S. M. C. Tomlinson Hummerston Brothers of'eeds 20 Co-opted Members An Alabaster of the Assumption W. T. Oliver, M.A. and Related Tables 24 Eric Taylor, R.E. A.R.G.A. THE LEEDS ART COLLECTIONS FUND President The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Halifax Vice-President The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Harewood Trustees C. S. Reddihough STAFF George Black, F.R.c.s, W. T. Oliver, M.A. Director Robert Rowe, C.B.F.,M.A., F.M.A. Committee Mrs. S. Gilchrist M.A. Keeper, Temple Xewsam House Professor L. Gowing, c.B.E., Christopher Gilbert, M.A., F.M.A. Mrs. R. P. Kellett Dr. Derek Linstrum, pH.D., A.R.I.B.A. Ratcliffe Keeper, Art Gallery Mrs. G. B. Miss M. Strickland-Constable, B.A. A.M.A. T. B. Simpson Alderman J. T. V. Watson, LL.B. Keeper, Decorative Art Studies Terry F. Friedman, B.A., pH.D. Hon. Treasurer Martin Arnold, B.A. Curator, Print Room and Art Library Alex W. Robertson, M.A. Hon. Secretary Robert Rowe, C.B.E.,M.A., F.M.A. Assistant Keeper, Lotherton Hall Peter Walton, B.A. Hon. Membership Secretary W. B. Blackburn Assistant Keeper, Temple JVewsam Hou~e Anthony Wells-Gole, B.A. Hon. Social Secretary Mrs. M. A. Goldie Trainee Assistant Keeper: Richard Fawcett, B.A. Secretary: Miss B. Thompson Administrator All communications to be addressed to the Miss D. J. English Hon. Secretary at Temple Newsam House, Leeds Subscriptions for the Arts Calendar should be sent to Assistant, Print Room and Art Library Hon. Treasurer, Arnold tk Son Ltd., Mrs. E. Brooks The c/o E.J. J. Butterley Street, Leeds 10 Technical Supervisors: 50p per annum, including postage (2 issues) Ron Turner Single copies from the Art Gallery and Temple Michael Tasker Newsam House, 25p each Editorial Once more Temple Newsam is in the are craftsmen still about whose work can hands of the builders. Barely was there time stand comparison with that of previous to recover from the onslaughts of heating centuries. If this had not been so the screen engineers, armed not only with pipes and across the middle of the oak corridor on the pumps and motors, but a whole new lan- first floor —apparently of fundamental guage about thermal insulation and BTU's importance to the whole precautionary —which sounded to the middle-aged among tale —would have been even more disas- us more like a new form of bread rationing trous. While all this has been going on it than something connected with the well- has been possible to reorganise the top being of the house —when more intruders north-west rooms, always the most de- arrived. The vanguard of this invasion was pressing part of the house and something in uniform and spoke yet another language, of an anti-climax to visitors whose British this time about hoses and hydrants, and (or American) phlegm, energy, youth or half-hour fire resistance. If, one was tempt- what-have-you brings them as far as this. ed to ask, the conflagration they seemed so When the dust settles this area, together frightened about would only last such a with the stone staircase, should be one of limited time couldn't one just wait for it the most attractive parts of the house and to go out ~ No, fire precautions had to be indeed provide a vision of delight with taken very seriously and at last everyone which to leave Temple Newsam. got down to doing so. The trouble was how Summer 1971 represents the first full to fit such totally foreign bodies as emer- season for the Stable Court Exhibition gency staircases and self-closing doors into Gallery at Temple Newsam. It promises a fabric unashamedly planned it seems to well and has already shown itself sympa- encourage destruction by burning. If one thetic to pictures —as long as they are not sees the Fire Brigade as the representative too big —furniture and the decorative arts of the wholly admirable conservation mood in general. We will have to live down the of our day it is ironic that its demands 'ye olde'ouch which the exposed beams appeared to lead directly to the total suggest, they are so pleasant in themselves, visual destruction of the building to be provide such necessary height and, psycho- physically safeguarded. However, man has logically at any rate, are able to hide a always spent much time on defending the very 'modern'ighting system, that their indefensible and ingenuity on reconciling suppression has never been seriously in the irreconcilable —so it was at Temple question. The intimate quality of the exhi- Newsam. bition gallery does, however, impose its own After a year of planning and detailing, rather special terms which will undoubted- the city's Works Department was able to ly influence the sort of shows we hold there suggest how the necessary staircases could during the summer months. We started be hidden in cupboards and doors be made this year by displaying some of the best to close when the fire alarm sounded. All and most interesting things in the T. E. credit to the architects concerned that in Hollings'ollection of English pottery. one or two cases the public circuit will be This complimented the memory ofHollings improved and the house actually made more and showed him to have been a man of beautiful. A consoling aspect of the whole great taste and expert knowledge. It also operation has been the discovery that there emphasised the part played by private benefaction in the progress of Temple these with photographic records to provide Newsam. It is pertinent at this moment in a corpus of material with which to return time, when people sometimes talk wist- to St. Ives and create pictures. Among the fully of co-operation between private and first of these to emerge from his studio were public collectors, that T. E. Hollings should six gouaches —ours among them. In August be remembered as just that sort of partner of the same year Peter Lanyon was killed from whom particularly American mu- in a glider accident. seums have benefitted so greatly. Since the beginning of the present The Acquisitions of the Year exhibition financial year quite a number of important was a new production on a new stage of a purchases have been made —or are at hardy annual, but the Furniture from present in process of negotiation and so Broughton Hall broke new ground. Limited will have to wait for comment in another in scope —furniture fiom one interesting issue of the Calendar. Some of the most local house only; academic in concept in immediately attractive things have been that original research on little known bought from the Gascoigne endowment furniture makers could be published and fund for Lotherton Hall. Among these is a illustrated but at the same time easy on the Swansea porcelain cabaret dating from eye and mind because everything was the early nineteenth century, most beauti- pretty and its use obvious. We experi- fully decorated with garden flowers and mented too with the catalogue; largely subtle gilding. Not only is it satisfying to be home-produced and therefore cheap but, able to represent Swansea so well, but to we pride ourselves, of high quality within find a complete cabaret service in good its terms of reference. Another exhibition state fulfils a museologist's happiest dreams due to open on August 4th has a superfi- —and, heaven knows, he has enough night- cially similar theme in that it will also be mares these days, particularly over security. concerned with furniture. In this case, Cabarets, and this strangely enough is the however, the time span will run through the second to be acquired for Lotherton Middle Ages to the seventeenth century recently, can readily be displayed as and material v ill come mainly lrom York- complete services. The juxtaposition of shire churches. The idea is to show the tray, teapot, cup and saucer, bowl and jug particular features of form and decoration can demonstrate the prowess of their characteristic of this region; a subject manufacturer better perhaps than any other which has never been studied over all but similar sized group of porcelain from the which becomes ever more obviously worth same factory could do.