The History of Helensburgh & District Art Club
Helensburgh was a small town until the Industrial Revolution. The dredging of the Clyde and the plentiful supply of coal paved the way for the expansion of trade and manufacturing, major Engineering, ship-building, cotton, tobacco and industry of all kinds.
A new class of successful businessmen came into being. Many immigrants from the poor farmlands and Ireland manned the factories. Glasgow expanded at a tremendous rate. The well- off moved westwards to avoid the inevitable industrial pollution. (The prevailing wind is from the west).
Sir James Colquhoun of Luss developed Helensburgh. He sold off lots of land to build large houses; culminating in the completion of the Hill House in 1902.
Glasgow was very modern for the day, taking an interest in the new Art from Europe. Dealers such as Alex Reid brought “Pleine Air” Art to Glasgow; that is paintings executed outside from nature of life as it was, not the large historical and mythological pictures that were painted in studios which were current at that time.
The Impressionists also found a market in Glasgow.
Art was bought for these fine houses. Some of the Glasgow Boys worked in studios in Helensburgh, including W.Y. Macgregor, Lavery, Guthrie and Walton.
There was an Art Club in Helensburgh between the wars with exhibitions in the Granary Building on Clyde St, to which belonged many artists, who, after the Second World War, were determined to form “The Helensburgh and District Art Club”.
The first committee meeting was in 1951. Among the first members were:- Charles Taylor (the first president), Gregor Ian Smith, Elspeth Beaton, J. Carlaw, May Howieson and George Burgess. They were lucky to have Sir Harry Jefferson Barnes on the committee; he was a Director of the Glasgow School of Art who brought a constant stream of practising, talented artists to give lectures and demonstrations to the club.
The format was is much as it is today;- lectures, workshops, demonstrations, Exhibitions, visits to the Art School, and to Edinburgh and Glasgow Exhibitions. Eventually a junior class was formed. The Portrait Class has always been popular. They also had a Christmas dinner or social evening.
From the outset they searched for permanent premises, which have never yet been found. The meetings were held in various venues. For a long time the Community Centre on Clyde street was used until it was closed in 2004. We now meet in the Helensburgh Lawn Tennis Club in Suffolk Street and classes are held in the West Kirk Halls.
Exhibitions were usually housed in the Victoria Halls and sometimes in St. Columba’s Church Hall.
For a long time Miss A.T. Anderson was our Honorary President. When she died in 1976, she left her collection of Helensburgh pictures, (painted mainly by Helensburgh Artists), to the town. They are now held in our new library in the Anderson Trust where they are exhibited regularly.
The first president was Charles Taylor for three years and then the backbone of the club, Gregor Ian Smith was president for 22 years. There have been 13 presidents since serving from 5 to 2 years.
The first annual subscription was 25p the next year 50p.
There have been many notable exhibitions over the years. Included in the 1954 exhibition was a
loan of pictures owned by te residents of Helensburgh. There were Raeburns, Ramseys, Peploes,
Cadells, Guthries, Hunters, Hornels, Sisleys, Daumiers, Toulouse Lautrec, Fantin Latour,
Crawhall and Edward Lear.
In 1956, four Glasgow Artists were invited to participate; Joan Eardley, Margaret Sandeman, Sinclair Thomas and William Crosbie.
Ailsa Tanner appears about this time and she arranged many fine outside exhibitions The Helensburgh and Glasgow school in 1964. The 1971 exhibition included three Kilbarchan Artists - Tom Shanks, Cynthia Wall and William Birnie. The 1973 Exhibition included Guthries, Whitelaw Hamilton, Walton, James Paterson and John Laver, who all painted in Helensburgh. The 1976 Exhibition included works by “The Glasgow Girls” including Nora Nelson Gray, who painted first World War paintings, Jesse King and Eleanor A Moore, (Ailsa Tanner’s mother).
In 1996 the 1st exchange visit with our twin town in France, Thouars, took place and we held an exhibition of the French artists.
We took part in the Millennium Visual Arts Festival funded by the Lottery, a summer programme of events and workshops was organised.
We took part in the Helensburgh bi-centenary and lately the Blossom Festival
Many distinguished artists have lectured and demonstrated including Albert Marrocco, Emelio Coia, Richard DeMarco, Jean Irwin, James Robertson, Alexander Goudie, John Millar, Anda Paterson, James Fullerton, Robert Kelsey, Norman Kirkam, Hamish MacDonald, Rodger Billcliffe and Cordelia Oliver to name but a few.
Of course, there have been and still are, a wonderful band of loyal members who have supported the club and made the club what it is today.
The aim of the club has always been to encourage would be artists to “ have a go” and to give artists of all abilities a platform on which to exhibit and to give to those who appreciate art in all its forms, a better understanding.
Priscilla Dorward.
President 2004-2006
