Speech by the Acting Chairman, Sir Colin Ai at the Annual General Meeting on 15 December 1953 Our Chairman, alas, is unable to be here today, for reasons an old-masterish assurance which, for some of them, was a which we all deplore and which will, I know, gain him our surprise and even something of an anti-climax. Let this unanimous sympathy. He is in hospital, following an not blind anyone to its importance. operation. Figures in their Setting Sir Edward Marsh The exhibition itself has been a great success from several In speaking for the Chairman there is one first and points of view. Already we have sold over 3500 catalogues, overwhelming duty before me, for this is our first Annual and on each such sale a tiny tinkle (albeit only of copper) Meeting since the death of Sir Edward Marsh and I must ask might have been heard dropping into our coffers. The you all to stand with me in tribute to him. I know quite exhibition has helped a large number of artists; it has been well that he would not have wanted us to be too solemn on the cause of an interesting and valuable public discussion his account, but really, in spite of our published symposium in the Press about the problems of the present state of in his name and in his honour (which we owe to the painting; it has enabled several Public Galleries, in various imagination and drive of Denis Mathews), it must here and parts ofthe British Isles, to buy (or to appear to be about now be recorded that Eddie Marsh was the C.A.S. as much to buy) works of importance which would not otherwise have as one man can be the soul of a corporate body. I shall say come their way. The Nottingham Gallery, for instance, has no more of him today than that; but I know that will not bought the Bateson Mason Sleeping Fisherman. Besides all prevent us from going on thinking of him with as much this it has been possible to arrange for the show itself, affection as ever. Of his works there remains much to be when it ceases here, to be divided into two travelling said. His complete collection — with some few exceptions - exhibitions, which have already been booked to visit a was bequeathed to us and has been shown at the Leicester number of important centres — among them Plymouth, Leeds, Galleries. It then toured various important centres outside Liverpool, Sheffield, and Preston. London and it is now back, exercising a magnetic attraction upon the directors of many public galleries, who are now The Buyer visiting us here to register their applications for an allocation Our buyer for the coming year is to be Mr Eardley Knollys, who from the Marsh collection. could scarcely be better qualified for the task. Once upon a May I digress here to remark how vividly this collection, time he used to sell pictures, and those of us who remember some pictures from which we took care to hang here today, the enlightened enthusiasm which informed their choice will shows the speed at which the contemporary style has welcome him as a worthy successor to Mr Eric Gregory, our changed. To the younger visitors the Marsh collection had retiring buyer, some of whose selections are on view here today. Speech by the Acting Chairman, (continued) The Committee their homes. To Lord Radciiffe, to Mr Mortimer (our Three of your Committee retire under our rules. Sir Edward Chairman), Mr Eardley Knollys and Mr Sackville-West, Marsh's death covers one such position. The other members and to Mr Bankes we owe this special kind of thanks. Those retiring are Sir Kenneth Clark and Lord Methuen. I need of them who have wives will, we hope, divert a large share scarcely say how much we regret their loss. of our thanks in their direction. It is no little thing to welcome a horde of strangers into one's home - come wet, To Sir Kenneth, of all our Committee now living, we owe come fine; but the fact remains that, as visitors, we all enjoy a particular debt for the most generous past gifts of such occasions with a particular kind of enthusiasm. pictures - not in ones or twos, but in stacks. This is the time to make public acknowledgement of our gratitude for A new social event in our year has been the invitation to the that and, we must add, for support in many other ways. C.A.S. from the Students' body of the Slade School, not We do not intend at this meeting to put forward any new only to take part in, but also to provide half the audience nominations for the Committee, but we will keep this under at an evening discussion of their current work. As one of active consideration and take such action as seems best. those who took part in the discussion (Mr Erie Newton kindly undertook to bt the other) I found the evening rather a We have been given pictures by two other benefactor5, one strain. But this didn't prevent its being enjovabio, even for of them, a foundation Committee-member of the C.A.S., me, and it was a great privilege for manv of us just to be Mr Paul Maze, has given us an important work of Marehand - able to walk about the Slade. a figure study. The other, a present Committee-member, Mr Howard Bliss, has given us a picture bv Norman Adams. Finally, on behalf of the C.A.S., I must thank the Trustees of May we add to our thanks for both these generosities an the Tate Gallery for continuing to give us harbour here, a additional word of gratitude to Mr Bliss for his lending us, liberal act on their part, which greatly helps us to do our from his own collection, so many paintings. job to good effect. 1 cannot express in detail our thanks to those who, in one way or another, have this year provided opportunities of pleasure in seeing pictures, buildings, or even (should I whisper it?) ships. I will content myself by particularizing those to whom such events have meant the greatest persona] upheaval -- those private collectors who have opened to us Gifts to the Society Bequest to the C.A.S. in 1953 From Howard Bliss by Sir Edward Marsh Norman Adams. In the beginning Exhibited at the Leicester Galleries Memorial Exhibition, May 1953 From Miss Annea Spong Joseph Sydall. Figures by the sea Paintings Joseph Sydall. Sitting by the sea Leonard Appelbee. Fish John Armstrong. Still Life. 1924 From Alan Ward William Coldstream. Lords and Ladies Barnett Freedman. Kitchen Interior Michael Rothenstein. Design iviih blue background Mark Gertler. Agapanthus. 1914 From Paul Maze Mark Gertler. The Artist's studio. 1915 Jean Hyppolyte Marchand. Woman Reading Mark Gertler. The Jewish Family, c.1913 Mark Gertler. The artist's mother. 1913 Mark Gertler. Still life — bowl and apples. 1913 Spencer F. Gore. Suburban Street Lawrence Gowing. On the 'phone Lawrence Gowing. Decaying Apples Duncan Grant. Tulips. 1911 Duncan Grant. The Dancers Duncan Grant. Still life with bread and carrots Duncan Grant. Acrobats Tristram Hillier. Cutlers Green. 1944 Ivon Hitchens. Flower painting. 1933 J. D. Innes Arenig. c.1910 J. D. Innes. Ranunculus, c.1912 Henry Lamb. Lady with lizard, c. 1911-12 Lord Methuen. Widcombe Manor, Bath. 1945 Cedric Morris. African Birds Rodrigo Moynihan. Self-portrait John Nash. The Harbour Paul Nash. St Pancras. 1927 Bequest to the C.A.S in 1953 {continued) Paul Nash. Buckingham shirr landscape. 1929 Mark Gertler. Girl standing. 1924 Paul Nash. November Moon. 1943 Mark Gertler. Nude. October 1914 William Nicholson. Cornstooks Charles Gitmer. A. church in the Strand Winifred Nicholson. Flowers in a jug Kobin Ironside. Fountain and gate James Pryde. The green wave Augustus John. Sealed woman William Roberts. Sam Rabin v Black Eagle. 1934 Augustus John. Draped standing woman William Roberts. The return oj' Ulysses Augustus John. Early portrait of Ambrose McEvoy W. R. Sickert. Her Majesty's. 1934 David Jones. Stream and trees. 1932 W. U. Sickert. The New Bedford, c.1915 Henry Larnb. Breton peasants. 1911 Matthew Smith. Recumbent figure, c.1927 Wyudham Lewis. Woman s head. 1923 Matthew Smith. Landscape, South of France W. T. Monnington. Study of a woman Matthew Smith. Slill Life, hyacinth. 1920 .Henry Moore. Woman seated with hands clasped Gilbert Spencer. Allotments John Nash. Wood by the Shore.. Gower Stanley Spencer. Tree and chicken coops, Wangford John Nash. Cornfield Stanley Spencer. Sarajevo. 1922 Paul Nash. Tea caddy, c.1925 Stanley Spencer. Cookham Paul Nash. Elms. 1914 Stanley Spencer. Self-portrait Paul Nash. Iter Heath, c.1914 Stanley Spencer. Landscape William Nicholson. Turnips Stanley Spencer. Portrait of Richard Carline John Piper. Hamsev church. 1939 P. Wilson Steer. Poole Harbour. 1899 Eric Ravilious. The Yellow Funnel. 1938 Edward Wadsworth. Seafaring. 1922 William Roberts. Palmistry Carel Weight. Essex Landscape William Roberts. The Pigeon Fanciers Christopher Wood. Landscape, Ven.ce. 1927 Stanley Spencer. Study for Apple Gatherers. 1912 Christopher Wood. Angel fish, London Aquarium. 1929 Stanley Spencer. Early self-portrait. 1912-13 Christopher Wood. Landscape with rainbow Stanley Spencer. Head of a girl. 1912 Stanley Spencer. Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes Water-colours and drawings W. R. Sickert. The New Bedford Roger Fry. Landscape. 1903 Graham Sutherland. Holloiv tree trunk. 1938 H. Gaudier Brzeska. Male Nude. 1912 Ethel. Walker. Two nude figures. 1934 H. Gaudier Brzeska. Mate Nude. 1912 Rev Whistler. Roger Morris' Bridge at Wilton, built 1737 Mark Gertler.