MHG Volunteer Blog 36: Soapwort

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

This Monday, as with the weather in previous months, life managed to conspire against the MHG volunteers. Carole was on her own again.

After carrying out the flower count, she helped the Site Officer, Joe, by cutting back the planter by the Swillington Tower. She then, belatedly, started to cut-back the lavender bushes on the drive. “Started”, because with over 50 bushes it is not a task that can be completed in one go. Cutting back also, unfortunately, showed the weeds that had been hiding in the “undergrowth”. But that’s a job for another day.

The start of the lavender cut-back in the Medieval Herb Garden

Later in the day she enjoyed some time, easing her back and knees, by talking to visitors. There was a couple from Lockerbie in Scotland and two ladies from South Carolina, USA!

Plant of the week: Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis)

The name "Soapwort" comes from the plants ability to produce a soapy lather when its roots or stems are rubbed in water. The botanical name Saponaria derives from the Latin word for soap, saponem. 

It is also known as bouncing bet, latherwort, fuller's herb, bruisewort, crow soap, sweet betty, flop top, lady-by-the-gate, Jill-run-by-the-street, and Devil-in-a-bush.

Soapwort originated in Central and Southern Europe and Asia. It is classed as an ‘archaeophyte’. This means it was introduced to the UK before the 1500s AD.

It is a clump-forming, deciduous, stoloniferous, perennial. It will grow in almost any well-drained, non-acidic soil. It prefers to grow in full sun in any aspect. It can grow up to a height of 4 ft or more. However, at this height it tends to fall with the stems then bending upwards again. This forms a 'hollow crown' effect. Because of this, the plant in the MHG often only appears to be about 2 ft high.

The plant has green, leafy, unbranched, knotted, stems (often tinged with red). The broad, lanceolate leaves are opposite. They grow between 2 or 3 inches long and 1/3 inch wide.

Soapwort in flower in the MHG

The plant flowers between June to September. Its flowers have radially symmetrical, slightly downy, petals. The petals are pink or sometimes white. Each of the five flat petals is about 1 inch long. They are arranged in dense, terminal clusters on the main stem.

Unfortunately, this lovely plant has stoloniferous roots. These enable it to spread unless tightly controlled each year. Even in 1597 John Gerard wrote “if they have once taken good and sure rooting in any ground it is impossible to destroy them.” With this “truth” we can wholeheartedly agree!

Culinary uses of soapwort

Soapwort has a bitter, slightly sweet flavour. It has a lingering, pungent aftertaste and produces a numbing sensation in the mouth. Its main culinary use is in small quantities in traditional recipes like halva. Here, it provides a smooth, fluffy texture and acts as an emulsifier.

Please note: soapwort contains the toxic chemicals saponin and saporin. Eating the plant can lead to severe vomiting, fever, weakness, muscle pain, bleeding and damage to red blood cells.

Folklore and other facts about soapwort

When soapwort is steeped in water, it produces a mild soap. It was used in the woollen mills of Britain. Because of this, it naturalised in locations where the mills once stood.

In some western Asian countries such as Syria, it is still grown specifically for its use in cleaning wool.

Soapwort extract is used in some UK-based shampoos and soaps. It provides a mild, gentle lather.

The plant's cleansing properties led to its use in breaking witchcraft spells.

In the past, Dutch brewers have used the plant to get a good head on their beer. It is still used as an emulsifier in the commercial preparation of tahini and beer. It helps to create a stable head on the beer.

The flowers are visited by various insects including owlet moths (Noctuidae), hawk moths (Sphingidae), bumblebees and hoverflies.

Medieval uses of soapwort*

In traditional medicine, soapwort was used in a range of remedies. It was used as a diuretic, a purgative and for jaundice. It was also used as an expectorant prescribed for coughs and bronchitis.

The plant has natural cleansing and anti-inflammatory properties. This made it useful for treating skin conditions like acne and eczema.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 35: Common Fleabane

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Another blustery day with intermittent rain. Helen cut back the Good King Henry and dug up some mammoth clumps of Cinqfoil. 

Helen and Lillie then weeded the top of the drystone wall. They took care to not disturb the many chocolate mining bees that have made their home in the soil below the grass.

A chocolate mining bee popping out to say hello!

Plant of the week: Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica)

This plant was called 'fleabane' because it was used to repel fleas. The Latin name 'Pulicaria' comes from 'Pulex' meaning flea. 'Dysenterica' refers to its other supposed ability to cure dysentery.

Other names are wild marigold, camels, harvest flower, pig-daisy and Job’s tears.

Common fleabane is native to Europe and Western Asia. It is a bushy, deciduous, stoloniferous (grows horizontal stems above the ground), perennial. It prefers damp or poorly-drained soil, in full or partial shade, in any aspect but north-facing.

When grown in favourable conditions, it will reach a height and spread of 3 ft. In the presently bone-dry Medieval Herb Garden it gets to about 12 inches.

It flowers from August to October. It has 1 inch, golden-yellow, composite, daisy-like flowers. These grow atop downy stems with stalkless, very downy, wavy-edged lanceolate leaves. The leaves are alternately arranged and clasp the stem. The basal leaves wither by the time it flowers.

The root is a creeping, scaly, underground rhizome. It sends up shoots at intervals, thus forming spreading clumps. These need to be controlled before they “take over” the garden.

Common fleabane growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Culinary uses of fleabane

Fleabane is not used in cooking. The plant has a bitter, astringent and salty flavour.

Folklore and other facts about fleabane

The plant's smell is similar to carbolic soap. It was used to repel fleas and other insects. Dried leaves were hung indoors or burned as a fumigant.

Fleabane was thought to have protective qualities. Some traditions suggested it could be burned to cleanse stagnant energy or hung above doorways to ward off evil spirits.

The name Job's tears is linked to a tradition that Job used a decoction of this herb to cure his ulcers.

Most animals generally avoid fleabane due to its bad taste and pungent qualities. The plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Fleabane is visited by a wide range of insects. These include hoverflies, honeybees, wasps, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. Pollination is mainly successfully done by flies.

It is the main food plant for the fleabane tortoise beetle (Cassida murraea). It is also mainly eaten by four micromoths, Apodia bifractella, Ptocheuusa paupella, dusky plume (Oidaematophorus lithodactyla) and Digitivalva pulicariae.

Medieval uses of fleabane*

Fleabane was used more commonly in mainland Europe than in the UK. The plant's sap and infusions of the dried herb were used to treat dysentery.

A paste made from the plant was applied to wounds to promote healing and to treat other skin disorders and itchiness.

It was also used for coughs, jaundice, epilepsy and gastric problems.

The following is taken from Miss E. S. Rohde's 'Old English Herbals': 'Fleabane bound to the forehead is a great helpe to cure one of the frensie.'

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 34: Snapdragon

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Another Bank Holiday Monday. Where does the time go? 

Unfortunately, the plants in the Medieval Herb Garden don’t have access to a calendar. They are acting as if it is early Autumn, not late August! 

After completing the weekly flower count, Carole continued to cut-back various plants that had already “gone over”.

Plants in the Medieval Herb Garden that already think it's Autumn!

She also spot-weeded plants like tansy, green alkanet and hound’s tongue that had self-seeded everywhere. These would threaten to take over next year, if left to their own devices.

Finally, Carole stocked up the sales barrow. Sorry, all the liquorice plants have now been sold. Due to the heat, she then “called it a day”.

Plant of the week: Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

The botanical name, 'Antirrhinum', refers to the 'snout-like' form of the flower. The common name snapdragon originates from the flowers' reaction to having their throats squeezed. This causes the 'mouth' of the flower to snap open like a dragon's mouth.

Other names are lion's-mouth, rabbit's mouth, bonny rabbits, calf-snout, toad's mouth, bulldogs, and lion's-snap.

Snapdragon is native to Southern Europe and North Africa. It is closely related to toadflax. It is a bushy, deciduous, herbaceous perennial. Despite this, snapdragon is often grown as a biennial or annual plant. This is particularly in colder areas where it may not survive the winter.

It prefers to grow in full sun in south or west-facing, moist but well–drained sandy, loamy or chalky soil.

Snapdragons can grow to a height of 3 ft with a spread of 18 inches. It has upright or scrambling stems. The leaves are spirally arranged and broadly lanceolate. They are up to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Yellow snapdragons growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

It flowers from late Spring to Autumn with purple / red / pink, yellow or white flowers. Modern cultivars have extended this colour range. 

There are between 8 and 30 short-stalked flowers on a tall spike. Each is up to 1.5 inches long and zygomorphic (only symmetrical when folded in half). The flowers have two lobed 'lips' closing the corolla tube.

Culinary uses of snapdragons

Snapdragons have been used in salad, desserts, soups, teas and liquors. They are used for decorative and flavour‐enhancing purposes. However, they are not to everyone's taste. Their flavour can be slightly bitter.

Folklore and other facts about snapdragons

Snapdragons were often planted in gardens as a protective shield against evil forces. They were thought to protect against falsehoods, evil spirits, and witchcraft.

In some traditions, snapdragons are linked to boldness, inner strength, and resilience.

Essential oils and flower essences derived from snapdragons are used in aromatherapy and homeopathy. They can promote relaxation.

Like toadflax, snapdragons are pollinated by bumblebees. These bees are strong enough to open the flowers, collecting pollen in the process.

Spider mites will attack snapdragons. Thrips are commonly seen in newly opened flowers and will cause small lesions in the shoots and flower buds. They will also remove pollen from the anthers. Aphids target and consume the terminal growth and underside of leaves.

Snapdragon suffers mostly from fungal infections. These include snapdragon rust, anthracnose, botrytis blight, downy mildew, and powdery mildew, fusarium wilt, leaf spots, and sclerotinia diseases.

Medieval uses of snapdragons*

The leaves and flowers have been traditionally used as poultices for various inflammations. These include haemorrhoids, ulcers, and rashes. Crushed snapdragon flowers were also used to treat burns, rashes, and insect bites.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 33: Devil's Bit Scabious

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

A chilly start to the day. That didn’t deter the many visitors this Monday! During the regular weeding, Carole spoke to an American who was visiting the castle. They were interested due to Pontefract Castle's connection to the Pilgrimage of Grace in the 1500s. Carole later spoke to a family from Perth, Western Australia and a delightful couple from Malta. They were in the UK to attend the Coldplay concert in Hull.

Later, a lady from Liverpool joined Carole and learned how to take cuttings from the castle’s pink mophead hydrangeas. She successfully prepared six for the castle, to sell next year, and one to take home.

A pink mop hydrangea at the castle

Afterwards, Helen showed Caroline and Louis the same procedure. They were similarly rewarded with their own cuttings.

Plant of the week - Devil's Bit Scabious (Succisa praensis)

The name of the plant commonly known as devil's bit scabious has been changed from 'Scabiosa succisa' to 'Succisa pratensis'. This reflects the change in classification. 'Succisa pratensis' is now recognized as the only species within the genus 'Succisa'. 'Scabiosa' is a separate, related genus within the honeysuckle family.

The word 'scabies' comes from the Latin word for 'scratch' ('scabere').

In folktales, the black root was short because it had been bitten off by the Devil. He was angry at the plant's ability to cure diseases – hence the name. Its other names are blue ball, blue bonnets and blue buttons.

Devil's bit scabious is native to the British Isles and Europe. It is a clump-forming, spreading, herbaceous perennial. It prefers moist but well-drained soil, in full-sun to partial shade in any aspect but north-facing.

Devil's bit scabious growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

It flowers to a height of 3 ft with a spread of up to 18 inches. The flowers appear between July and October. They are borne on top of hairy, little-branched stems. The stems rise from a basal rosette of simple or distantly-toothed, lanceolate leaves.

The flowers are bluish to violet. They are in tight compound flower heads up to 1 inch across. Individual flowers are tetramerous, having four petals, four sepals (calyx), and a four-lobed epicalyx. Male and female flowers are produced on different flower heads. The female flower heads are smaller than the male flowers. The plant's anthers are large and borne upon filaments or threads. These are also almost as long as the petals.

In the first year of the plant's life the root is like a small carrot in shape. The lower part becomes woody and dies away. This gives the root a gnawed or bitten appearance. The root that remains throws out lateral roots. These compensate for the portion that has died.

Culinary uses of Devil's bit scabious

The plant is not typically classified as being edible. However, its young shoots and leaves can be eaten. They have a slightly bitter aftertaste, so probably not your new favourite snack.

Folklore and other facts about Devil's bit scabious

Due to the story of the Devil's anger over the plant's abilities to cure people, the devil's bit scabious has been associated with jealousy.

In some traditions, the plant is believed to offer protection from witchcraft.

A Cornish legend warns that picking devil's bit scabious will lead to the Devil appearing at your bedside that very night.

The flowers are frequented by hoverflies of the genus Eristalis. It is a good source of nectar. It is the larval food plant of the marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia), and the narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth (Hemaris tityus).

The flowers are galled by the gall midge Contarinia dipsacearum. The leaves are eaten the triozid bug Trioza munda, and the roots by the nematode Meloidogyne hapla. The leaves are parasitised by the chytrid fungus Synchytrium succisae, the powdery mildew Erysiphe knautiae, the rust fungus Aecidium succisae, and the leaf spot fungi Fusicladium consors, Ramularia succisae, Septoria succisicola, and Septoria scabiosicola.

The flowers are parasitised by the smut fungi Microbotryum succisae and Microbotryum flosculorum. They're also affected by the downy mildew Peronospora violacea.

Fortunately, so far, these lovely plants in the MHG seem to have avoided being troubled by all of the above!

Medieval uses of Devil's bit scabious*

According to the herbalist John Gerard (1597):

"The greater part of the root seemeth to be bitten away; old fantastick charmers report that the divel did bite it for envie, because it is an herbe that hath so many good vertues and it is so beneficial to mankinde."

Traditionally, devil’s bit scabious was used to treat scabies, skin conditions, fevers, and coughs. It was supposedly very powerful against the plague and all pestilential diseases. It also treated fevers and poison, and the bites of venomous creatures.  

It was associated with various medicinal properties. These included being able to expel parasitic worms, being a cleanser and promoting urination.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

Chloe: what I did on my work placement with Wakefield Museums and Castles

Chloe recently did a work placement with us as part of her university course. She's kindly written this guest blog about her experience. 

Read on to discover some of the interesting objects she catalogued for us!

During my work placement I was based in the museum store. I catalogued a small collection of items from the Sykes / Slazenger factory. The Sykes / Slazenger factory is mainly known for manufacturing sports items and equipment.

When I first started my work placement I was given a tour of the museum store. I was shown some of the objects and items they have and told about their significance. I was then shown the objects I would cataloguing throughout the eight weeks of my placement. I was also shown the history file. This contains everything needed to be kept with the collection, like the forms to say what needs to be catalogued or just used for reference. It also says how they got the items as well as the ownership of the items.

The objects I catalogued

The items I was to catalogue were:

• a pile of black and white photographs

• a photo album with more black and white photographs

• a head press (this was used to help make sure the tennis racket kept its shape)

• a tennis racket with a head press

• some rifle furniture (the wooden parts of a rifle) produced in the Sykes / Slazenger factory during the Second World War

The photographs

After looking through the objects, I decided I would start by cataloguing the black and white photographs. I started by putting the photographs into groups. I wanted to keep and catalogue the ones that were similar together.

A lot of the photographs were quite similar in nature. Cataloguing them was difficult, as it was hard to tell the difference between them.

Some of the photographs were pictures of some of the different manufacturing processes. These included how a tennis racket or a golf club was made. Others were of people using the machine, or just of the machines themselves.

This was very similar when I had catalogued the photo album. Some of the photographs were similar or the same to the ones I had already catalogued.

 This photograph shows a man looking over a finished golf club. He is making sure that everything has been done correctly. He is also putting on the final touches to the golf club.

Cataloguing the 3D objects

Cataloguing the rifle parts, tennis racket, head presses and the film reel was different. These objects have depth, whereas the photographs do not.

When measuring the length of the objects, I had to use a tape measure. They were quite long and it would have been difficult to do so without. I also had to look closely at the objects to make sure the condition they were in was fine. 

I was also looking to see if there was anything that was engraved or marked on to the objects.

The racket, still in its head press

The Sykes factory started to manufacture the wooden rifle parts during the Second World War. They would have slowed down the manufacturing of the sports items they produced, along with some of the machines in the photographs.

Pieces of wooden rifle furniture made by Sykes

There were some books amongst the items within the collection I was able to use for referencing. This was useful as I was able to match the photographs to the pictures of the machines within the books. 

There were some small pieces of paper that also had the name and description of what the machine was used for and how it worked. I was able to match the pieces of paper to the photographs as some of the machines had their names engraved on the front.

'Sykes and the War' and a thesis I used to research the objects

I had lastly catalogued some letters within the collection. They were in correspondence with the Sykes / Slazenger factory (more importantly the people within the factory). The majority of them had the dates in which they were sent. This made it easier for me to catalogue them in time order.

A lot of the letters were in response to Briggs receiving the British Empire Medal that was awarded by the King. This was due to his hard work in the war effort. Briggs sent letters back saying that it was a joint effort with the people he was working with and only done with the support of others.

This small collection I have catalogued is a part of a bigger collection Wakefield Museums and Castles has. There is loads more to find out about other sports items and equipment that were made at the factory. There's also lots to learn about the history behind the factory and how they stepped in to help with the war effort.

MHG Volunteer Blog 32: Sneezewort

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Another sunny day was due. We started early to beat the heat. Helen potted on some winter savory and southernwood. Carole re-stocked the sales barrow. Then Helen and Lillie went to work on weeding the dry-stone wall. Meanwhile, Carole carefully pulled up the dying borage and cut back the viper’s bugloss. Those tiny little hairs can get through practically anything!

Caroline and Louis started to weed near the top of the MHG. Carole carried out the weekly flower count and thought about her preparations for the busy week ahead.

On Wednesday morning, Carole will be giving a “snip and sniff” tour and talk of the MHG to the Darrington Gardeners’ Club. In the early evening, she will be giving a short talk about the flavours of the some of the herbs at August’s Museum Meet-up at Pontefract Castle. On Saturday she will give the free monthly MHG talk.

We had two notable visitors today, one more welcome than the other. The first was a huge house spider! It had hidden from the heat amongst the plant pots. It gave us quite a scare as it suddenly scurried around.

A very large eight-legged visitor!

Most welcome was a councillor for the Hemsworth ward, who pops in on a regular basis. She wanted to let us know how well her pink mophead hydrangea was getting on. She had previously bought it from our sales barrow.

This was a timely conversation as next Monday we will be taking more hydrangea cuttings. Just pop along at 11 am if you want to know how it’s done and have a go yourself.

Plant of the week - Sneezewort (achiellea ptarmica)

The name 'sneezewort' comes from the plant’s ability to cause sneezing when dried, powdered and inserted in the nose. 

The genus name 'Achillea' is named in honour of the Greek warrior Achilles. In mythology he was taught the healing properties of this herb by his tutor Chiron the Centaur. 

The species name 'ptarmica' comes from the Greek word 'ptarmikos', 'to sneeze'.

Sneezewort is native to Europe and Western Asia. It is a vigorous, upright, clumping, herbaceous perennial. It can grow to a height and spread of 3ft. Its leaves are typically lanceolate or ovate in shape, with finely-toothed or lobed margins. They grow in an alternate arrangement along the stems. Like many other plants, the sneezewort's pattern of development displays the Fibonacci sequence.

It will grow in any moist, but well-drained, soil with a pH of between 6.5 and 8. It is best in full sun to part shade as long as it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.

Sneezewort growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

It flowers between June and September. It grows loose clusters of white flowers with yellow-brown disc florets. Occasionally, as shown above, double-flowered forms are seen. The petals on each flower are notched.

Culinary uses of sneezewort

Sneezewort has a bitter, slightly peppery taste. The leaves have been used in salads or as a garnish.

Folklore and other facts about sneezewort

In some traditions, sneezewort has been associated with Venus. It was used in love potions and spells.

Sneezewort was often associated with purity and cleanliness. It was believed to ward off evil spirits and negative energies. In many cultures, the flower was used in various rituals and traditions to represent sincerity and straightforwardness.

Travellers sometimes carried sneezewort as a charm to protect them from injury on their journeys.

The leaves are also known to act as an insect repellent.

Medieval uses of sneezewort*

Chewing the fresh leaves or root can produce a numbing and tingling sensation, similar to Sichuan pepper. This made it a traditional remedy for toothache.

The dried and powdered leaves of sneezewort have been used as a 'sneezing powder'. In some cases they were added to snuff. This was thought to help clear nasal passages, relieve congestion and help with headaches.

Sneezewort is mildly toxic to cats and dogs. It is poisonous to horses and cattle.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

Painting Budapest in Wakefield: György Gordon (1924-2005)

We were very pleased to host Arpad Bak, a PhD student from the University of Leeds, on a recent placement. Arpad conducted in-depth research into stories of migration to the Wakefield District. 

In this guest blog post, he recounts the story of artist, György Gordon. As part of his research, Arpad interviewed Gordon’s daughter, Anna. 

We’re very grateful to Arpad and Anna for this fascinating article.

Wakefield-based Hungarian-British painter, György Gordon (1924-2005) means to his hometown what Jacob Kramer (1892-1962) means to neighbouring Leeds. 

Both artists arrived in the UK as refugees from East Central Europe in the 20th century. They made lasting contributions to their newly found homes’ cultural life, both as artists and educators. 

Below we look at Gordon’s life and artistic legacy 20 years after his death.

György Gordon, Self Portrait, 1983. Oil on Canvas. 49 x 59.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article.

Gordon and his daughter, Anna fled Hungary in 1956, amid the turmoil of the anti-Soviet revolution. More than 200,000 people left Hungary during or after the repressed popular uprising against Moscow’s dominance over the country.

Anna was six when they fled. The only thing she took with her was a plush toy of a monkey. Anna grew up to be a fashion designer living in southern England and still cherishes this personal object from her childhood: “It has been a faithful company for me throughout my life.”

Gordon and his first wife, Márta Edinger (1924-1997), both held degrees from the Hungarian College of Fine Art. When the revolution broke out in Budapest in late October 1956, Marta was on a work trip to Australia. She drew caricatures at the Olympic Games in Melbourne. Meanwhile Gordon held an art residency in Zsennye, a village in western Hungary, not far from the Austrian border.

On 4 November 1956, the Soviet Union invaded Hungary and crushed the uprising. Although Gordon did not join the armed fights in the streets of Budapest, he was part of the intellectual opposition to the Stalinist regime in Hungary. 

Gordon feared the consequences of this dissent and decided to escape the country through the western border. Márta had relatives in the US and the family planned to reunite there.

Gordon was 32 at the time of the revolution. Anna had barely started primary school. Together, they set out to cross the border on foot across a forested area. They didn't take any baggage, which could have betrayed them. They walked during the night and hid during the day. Once they sheltered in an abandoned farmhouse. At other times they buried themselves in leaves, Anna recalled during our conversation.

György Gordon, Mourning, 1964. Oil on Canvas. 99 x 57.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article.

It took three days for them to reach the border, as they lost their way in the wilderness multiple times. “There were many trails left in the woods, which my father imagined were traps,” Anna explained. But their real ordeals started just after arriving in Austria.

After some weeks spent at a refugee camp in Salzburg, Gordon and his daughter were carried overseas with a humanitarian airlift. They arrived at Ellis Island around Christmas. However, the authorities found out that the painter was a member of the Communist party in Hungary. He and Anna were deported back to Austria, as “undesirable aliens.”  It is important to note that Gordon had to be a member of the Communist party in order to have employment in Hungary.

Anna and Gyorgy were imprisoned upon their return. Anna shared a cell with four other children, also deportees, the youngest of whom was only four years old. After four days, she was placed under the care of a Hungarian couple. Her new foster parents took her to Germany, where they planned to work at a local coalmine. However, they soon changed their mind and decided to return to Hungary. They forced Anna to beg money in churches for the travel.

Whilst on the train heading home, Anna fled her foster parents. She jumped off the vehicle in Austria, in the hope of finding her father there. Her parents were already in the UK by that time. Anna ended up in another refugee camp, but the Red Cross helped reunite her with her parents. In June 1957 Anna took a plane to London, on her own, and finally joined up with her family there. However, instead of regaining the life that she left behind in Budapest, she found her parents’ marriage in a crisis. They divorced soon after.

György Gordon, Female Torso. Screenprint on paper. 50.5 x 58cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article. 

Gordon met his second wife in the community of Hungarian émigrés in London. In 1961, he married Marianne Mózes (1936-2013), who studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music. At that time, Gordon worked as a graphic designer for multiple agencies. 

For a while, they lived with a community of young artists from Hungary in Menelik Road, Kilburn. Many of them became successful in their careers in the UK or other countries. 

But Anna noted there were sad stories too. Their friend, the film-maker Robert Vas, who made a number of documentaries for the BBC, took his life for not gaining British citizenship, in fear of imprisonment in his home country.

György and Marianne became British citizens in 1964, a year after the birth of their son, Adam. The same year, they moved to Wakefield, where Gordon was offered a lecturer position at the Wakefield Technical and Arts College. He taught graphic art and later painting at this institution for over twenty years. Later on, Marianne also joined the staff of the college as a teacher of music. 

The Hungarian couple soon found many new friends among local arts professionals. They included fellow artists Martin Bates, Peter Murray and Steve Simpson, curator James Hamilton, and art critic W. T. Oliver.

The Gordons' home became a site of vibrant social life. “The house was full of people. People around the table talking, arguing, planning,” evoked Anna. They also frequently hosted music performances. First, the Gordons lived in a three-storey house near the city centre, at 42 Bond Street. They moved to a pair of former barn buildings in Heath Common, just outside Wakefield, in 1978. It took almost a decade for them to fully refurbish the ruined historical buildings, called the Joiners Shop & Old Smithy. 

Gordon retired in 1986, after which he devoted most of his time to painting.

The Gordons' former home in Heath Common, near Wakefield. (Shared with consent of the current residents and Anna)

According to Anna, who by the that time had left the family home, Heath Common was a major turning point in Gordon’s life: “He finally had the studio of his dreams and he could just be home and paint. I could see that he was completely content at that point.” 

This sense of settlement was also reflected in the change of direction Gordon’s art took there. Previously, his paintings had often addressed the violence that he had seen during the Second World War and the 1956 revolution. In Heath Common, he turned to more conventional themes, such as portraits, building interiors and landscapes. However, a melancholic atmosphere remained a hallmark of his work. His human figures, including a series of self-portraits, appear to be fragile. They are enclosed in overwhelming spaces or exposed in vulnerable postures.

Hungary continued to be a subject matter for Gordon even after his period of trauma paintings. As soon as the family was naturalised in Britain, they started visiting their aging parents in Budapest. While in Hungary, Gordon made many sketches and photos of themes of potential interest.

György Gordon, Horses. Screenprint on paper. 41.5 x 51.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Full credit at end of article.

Gordon then returned to these sketches in his studio in Heath Common. For example, he completed a series of portraits of his in-laws. These artworks explore old age, loneliness, and isolation. Gordon also painted subjects from his new home in Britain. He made portraits of James Hamilton and the onetime Sheffield-based Lindsay String Quartet. He also produced studies of his home and its environment in Heath Common.

From the mid-1960s, Gordon regularly participated in exhibitions in the Yorkshire region. His works were often displayed alongside those by Peter Murray, the founder of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. 

In 1974, the Wakefield Art Gallery celebrated Gordon’s presence in the city with a retrospective exhibition entitled “Ten Years in Wakefield." This was followed by further major solo shows, including in Budapest, London, and Leeds. 

A number of Gordon's works are held in public collections, including The Hepworth Wakefield, the National Portrait Gallery, London, the National Széchényi Library, Budapest, and the University of Leeds.

By Arpad Bak, University of Leeds, funded by the AHRC through the White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH)

Artwork images and credit lines:

1. György Gordon, Self Portrait, 1983. Oil on Canvas. 49 x 59.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Purchased from the Artist, 1986 with support from a V&A Purchase Grant. (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.

2. György Gordon, Mourning, 1964. Oil on Canvas. 99 x 57.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Gifted by the Friends of Wakefield Art Gallery and Museums, 2012. (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.

3. György Gordon, Female Torso. Screenprint on paper. 50.5 x 58cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Transferred from the Print Loan Scheme, 2007 (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.

4. György Gordon, Horses. Screenprint on paper. 41.5 x 51.5cm. Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield). Transferred from the Print Loan Scheme, 2007. (C) The Artist. Photographer: Norman Taylor. Image Courtesy: The Hepworth Wakefield.