25 years | 25 objects | 25 artists

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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? 

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. 

Made in the mid-20th century   Given by Christopher Southorn in 2009   These are part of a group of 101 shoes, tools and accessories from Southorn’s shoemakers. The shop on the Parade was a mainstay of Leamington’s retail offer for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. During this time, the offer evolved, from providing handmade riding boots, to selling ready-to-wear shoes such as these. The stories of local businesses can tell us a lot about how everyday ways of life change over time. 

Made in the late 20th century   Given by Mr and Mrs Mokrzycki in 2000   This is one of just a small number of objects we have in the collection representing the local Polish community. Jan and Magdelena Mokrzycki came to England after being displaced due to the Nazi and Soviet invasions of Poland. They met and married in London before settling in Kenilworth. Both were active members of the Leamington Polish community.  We are actively making connections with the Polish community and would like to add more to the collection. Please speak to a member of staff if you have something you would like to donate to us. 

Made by 2005   Given by Jason Cadden in 2014   Jason Cadden was manager of Leamington FC from 2000 to 2009. His first signing was Josh Blake, who would become the club’s leading goal-scorer. Together the pair contributed to a period of great success for the Brakes, which saw them achieve five promotions and four league titles. During the 2005/06 season the town celebrated when the club reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. 

Carved marble, made in the 19th century   Purchased in 2016   The Aylesford Well basin is one of the few items we have from the early days of the spa. It is only by chance that it survived. Local man Pavel Hodac noticed the basin sitting on top of the rubble pile when the Aylesford well house was demolished in 1960. He asked the demolition workers what would happen to it, and when told it would be discarded, he asked to have it. He took it home in his wheelbarrow. The basin stayed in the Hodac family for over 50 years, even going with them when they moved to Norfolk!

Baden Baden: Bewegungsbad N135a, 1998   Photographic transparency and lightbox   Purchased, 2000    Yass was born in London and studied at the Slade School of Art, Goldsmiths College and in Berlin. Her distinctive hyper-real photographic style evolved accidentally when a colour film loaded incorrectly and was processed as a negative. In combining a positive image with a negative and installing the result onto a lightbox, Yass creates distorted yet vivid images.  Her subject for this work is a swimming pool in the German town Baden-Baden which, like Leamington Spa, became a renowned health resort in the nineteenth century. 

Drawing R1001, 1971   Gouache and pencil on paper and hardboard   Given by the Contemporary Art Society, 2000, in memory of Nancy Balfour, OBE   Bridget Riley was an icon of British art in the 1960s. She was a key member of the Op Art movement, which was concerned with evoking sensations of movement and had roots in the earlier twentieth century artistic groups Dada and the Bauhaus. Riley’s work creates fantastic optical effects and forms an enquiry into the evolving artistic relationships between looking, seeing and representation. This picture, along with many other works, have been donated to Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum by the Contemporary Art Society.  Founded in 1920, the society purchase and donate contemporary art to member organisations around the country.

Compiled by Gertrude Hawkes, 1914-18   Given by Angela Azis in 2023   Most objects in our collection were donated by people with a link to the local area. Gertrude Hawkes was a volunteer nurse at the Warren VAD Hospital, Leamington, during the First World War. She bought this album at Burgis & Colbourne, a department store on the Parade, and her patients and colleagues filled it with personal messages, poems, photographs, and drawings. Gertrude’s granddaughter donated the album to LSAG&M in 2023.

Made about 1939    Given by Brenda Tai Layton in 2008   The doll was a gift to Brenda Tai Layton from Claire Aston, a family friend. Her mother, Enid Ferris, had seen the film Gone With the Wind on its release and loved it. It is thought that the doll is modelled on the character Prissy, the maid, who was played by Butterfly McQueen. Brenda had the doll for over 20 years before donating it to us. She said at the time, "Although I prize the doll, I believe its place in Leamington's Art Gallery and Museum is of wider importance, covering the history of both the USA and Britain in terms of civil rights, economics, cultural awareness and the arts."

Photograph of Miss Cox in male costume Early 20th century   Untraced find   This photograph features Miss Cox, who donated items of costume in 1964. It was with our archived paperwork for many years but had never been accessioned itself. Young people on our recent Queertopia project explored Miss Cox’s interest in costume and male impersonation. This image of her dressed as an Albanian or Greek soldier was used in the display and officially added to the collection. We have few objects relating to LGBTQ+ people and we hope to grow this area of the collection. Please speak to a member of staff if you have something you would like to donate.

Made in 2022   Given by Alison Chantrey in 2022   Alison Chantrey was a volunteer at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, when Warwick District hosted the road cycling and bowls competitions. This hand, used to high-five spectators, was part of the uniform she wore. Collecting items like this will enable us to tell future generations of visitors about Leamington’s part in this significant event.

Made by AG Spalding & Bros, 1951   Purchased in 2017   Leamington has a rich sporting history and one of its most famous sports stars is the boxer Randolph Turpin. Over the years we have built a strong collection that tells the story of his career. Because boxing and Randolph Turpin are popular with collectors, items tend to be sold at auction. Because our budgets are small, we are often outbid. Therefore, there was great excitement when we were successful in our bid to buy these boxing gloves. They were worn by Turpin when preparing for his World Middleweight title fight with Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951.

Made in 2015   Given by Ashley Woolley-Khan in 2023   Our collection represents Leamington’s present as well as its past. The video games sector is one of the town’s largest employers, with more than 50 companies active locally, from independent developers to multinationals. Ashley Woolley-Khan was given this controller when he was working on the development of Guitar Hero Live at local studio FreeStyleGames.

Made about 1814    Purchased in 2018    This medallion was worn by Leamington’s Master of Ceremonies, also known as the Arbiter Elegantiarum (judge of elegance). Their role was to manage the social calendar of balls and concerts in the town. The history of the medallion tells us more about Leamington as a spa resort. We applied to external bodies to help us to raise the funds to buy it. It was purchased with support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum.

Made by Brenda Barnes, 2020   Given by Judith Watkin, Croft Medical Centre in 2021   We collect objects that represent the local impact of major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Brenda Barnes made and distributed about 130 masks to local residents in 2020. In the future, museum staff will use

Sketches Taken in Warwickshire During Holiday Trip, 1867 Pencil and ink on paper   Purchased in 2008   The drawings were made by William Colliss, an amateur artist, when he was staying in Royal Leamington Spa during a holiday in August 1867. Made at a time before photography was widely accessible, they offer a rare personal record of excursions in mid-Victorian Warwickshire. Colleting objects that tell us more about the history of Leamington as a tourist destination is one aim in LSAG&M’s Collections Development Policy.