Feature: Exhibition - The Life and Work of Helen Allingham at Hampstead Museum
EVERY museum has its treasures locked away from public view for a variety of reasons. And the Hampstead Museum in Grade-I listed Burgh House, Hampstead, is no different.
The explanation as to why its visitors have not been able to see the work of the Victorian painter Helen Allingham – and poignant mementoes from her life in Hampstead – is that the museum couldn’t afford to buy the display equipment to do them proud.
But now a benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous has solved that problem for curator Rebecca Lodge. That has given her the opportunity to create a fascinating new exhibition in tribute to the life and work of Helen Allingham, who spent her last years living in Eldon Grove, Hampstead.
It means the museum can unlock its Allingham Bequest, the largest collection of Allingham art and family mementoes in the world, left to the museum by her grandson, Patrick, in his will back in 1989.
Helen and her poet husband William came to live in Hampstead in 1888 “for the sake of the education of children”, but only for William to die the following year. Indomitable Helen lived on until 1926, when she too died in Eldon House.
This year marks the 85th anniversary of her death and the exhibition, entitled The Life and Work of Helen Allingham, will showcase the worth of the first woman to be accepted into the Royal Watercolour Society, in 1890, and who made a reputation for herself painting once highly fashionable country cottages.
Born in 1848, she showed an early aptitude for creativity, joining the Birmingham School of Design at the age of 15. She went on to become a member of the Female School of Art in London’s Queen’s Square in 1867, and from there, to the Royal Academy Schools.
She is best known for her watercolours of charming country scenes, but the exhibition will demonstrate the breadth and scope of her long career thanks to the items in the Allingham Bequest.
In many ways that is due to Christopher Wade, the founding father of the Hampstead Museum, who staged an exhibition of Allingham’s work in 1985, which grandson Patrick so admired that he left his family heritage to Burgh House. Added to that, Christopher also bought her lovely watercolour of Old Wyldes, at North End, Hampstead, which is already hanging there.
“This exhibition will be the first time the museum has had the opportunity to display a significant amount of the Patrick Allingham Bequest of more than 100 paintings, sketches, family documents, furniture and photographs,” Burgh House general manager Kate Streeter told me.
“To date, only a small sample has been on regular display, including Helen Allingham’s locket together with a self-portrait. It has long been the ambition of the museum to stage a major exhibition of the collection. And with a recent grant from the Museum and Libraries Association for its conservation, together with a further donation to pay for specialist display walls from one of our patrons, this has finally become possible.”
Ms Streeter added: “The Allingham Bequest really is a little-known treasure trove that has been largely hidden away in the stores at Burgh House. We are delighted that we can finally display it in what will be a landmark exhibition.”
• The Life and Work of Helen Allingham from the Collection of Hampstead Museum opens today (Thursday) and runs until November 11. Burgh House, New End Square, NW3, 020 7431 0144
Special events
In conjuction with the exhibition, Allingham expert Annable Watts will give a talk on July 28 and September 29 at 7pm. Tickets cost £5.
Curator Rebecca Lodge will present a talk entitled Helen Allingham and Hampstead on October 23.
And families can have fun making messy collage landscapes and secret miniature portrait lockets and boxes on August 12.
All children taking part must be accompanied by an adult. £5 per child. Suitable for three- to nine-year-olds. For further details contact info@burghhouse.org.uk or phone 0207 431 0144.
Published: 21 July, 2011
by GERALD ISAAMAN