FUTURE PLANS

With the major refurbishment complete, Museum staff are now looking at ideas to improve its services and facilities for its continued success. Some of these include:

• Adding to the upgraded exhibitions and introducing new galleries
• Increase interest in the new viewable Storage and appreciation of the stored collection through printed information and informal talks
• Further appreciation of its own Fine Art collection by adding some new and exciting paintings
• Development of a wider educational programme to schools and colleges, the possibility of a new Education Officer post, looking at further funding for free family & group activities and ways to liaise with other museums
• Wider promotion of the Museum & Trust's activities through our newly designed poster and leaflet distribution (funded by the Association of Independent Museums)
• Membership promotion and Gift Aid - see Membership

 

 

 

HLF Your Heritage Fund: Acquisition of Barker Paintings- Pontypool Museum

 

The above paintings were purchased in late 2007 by Torfaen Museum Trust with the help of a Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Your Heritage’ grant. These paintings are an exciting and unusual addition to the small collection of paintings already held by Torfaen Museum Trust by these rare and famous, locally associated artists. That both paintings became available at the same time, from separate private collections, was an extra-ordinary opportunity for the Trust to both extend its collections and to make future plans to maximise access, locally and nationally, to the works of Benjamin & Thomas Barker, their place in the history of British Art and to their contemporary world of Pontypool as the Welsh cradle of industry.

 

The new and existing paintings by the father and son artists have just gone up on display in Amgueddfa Pontypool Museum in purpose built, environmentally friendly and secure showcases. Early 2008 will see the conclusion of research, translation and printed graphic storyboards on Thomas & Benjamin Barker, their work and their contemporary world; the upgrade, translation, design and reprint of the Trust booklet on the Barkers and an educational workpack for school age children with family visitor activity sheets.

 

The Trust is also planning some extra events alongside their normal schedule of exhibitions and events for 2008, to show and promote the works of these artists. Throughout the year and particularly during Museums & Galleries Month in May, the museum will be offering free family art-based sessions during school holidays, free art and photography sessions in landscape for local people and a special lecture by a London-based art critic on the role of these Pontypool artists in eighteenth century art.

 

Who were the Barkers?

Born in the 1720s, Benjamin Barker was disinherited from his wealthy Nottinghamshire family during his thirties and moved, penniless, to Pontypool, where by 1760 he was a noted ‘limner’ in the Pontypool Japanware works. Reputedly one of the finest Japanware artists, specimens of Benjamin’s work are in the National Museums, Wales’ national collection and are currently on show in the Trust’s Pontypool Museum. Benjamin Barker also used his spare time to raise money by painting commissioned equine portraits and sporting scenes. Four of his equine portraits are also within the Trust’s collection and on show at Pontypool Museum.

 

Benjamin married a local Torfaen girl, Elizabeth Ann Jones, and their eldest son, Thomas also became a professional artist - known in later life as ‘Barker of Bath’. Thomas was born in Pontypool in 1767 but later moved to Bath, where from the age of 15 he was sponsored by his patron, Charles Spackman. Thomas Barker was to become a renowned artist alongside such contemporaries as Thomas Lawrence, William Hoare and Thomas Gainsborough. Thomas Barker paintings are in the collections of the National Museums, Wales and the Holburne Gallery in Bath as well as the Trust’s collection at Pontypool Museum. The best known painting by Thomas Barker within the Trust’s collection is that of ‘The Woodman & his Dog’, painted c. 1790 and presented to Torfaen by Sir Richard Hanbury-Tenison.

 

Further information:

Taylor P & Babbidge A, 1982; ‘Benjamin and Thomas Barker, Artists of Pontypool’; TMT printed leaflet

McCallum Iain, 2003; ‘Thomas Barker of Bath, The Artist and his Circle’; Millstream Books

 

 

In Museum & Galleries month, May 2008, Mr Christopher Foley of Lane Fine Art, London, will give a special lecture at the museum, Friday 9th May at 2.00pm., on the rôles of Benjamin & Thomas Barker within the history of British Art.