This Pride Month, we are proud to share a fantastic new
addition to our collection!
We have recently acquired a small number of sketchbook pages
by Albert Wainwright (1898-1943), an influential artist from Castleford.
A friend and contemporary of Henry Moore, Wainwright produced
a large and varied body of work. This included ceramics, theatrical design and
book illustrations, as well as watercolours and drawings.
Although he didn’t reach
Moore’s commercial success or recognition during his sadly short lifetime, Wainwright’s
reputation has deservedly increased in recent years.
His work is also
significant in its depiction of gay love at a time when homosexuality was still
illegal in Britain.
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| Sketch by Albert Wainwright, recently acquired by Wakefield Museums & Castles. Features drawings of schoolboys, including a pair where one is tenderly reclining on the other. |
Wainwright was born and brought up in Castleford. He
attended Castleford Grammar School and was taught by the inspirational artist Alice
Gostick.
Gostick encouraged Wainwright’s artistic potential and her support
helped him to secure a place at the Leeds School of Art in 1914.
Gostick’s
influence on Wainwright’s art continued. He became a regular at her renowned pottery
painting classes, hand-painting ceramics in a traditional style known as
Castleford ‘Peasant Pottery’.
In 1927, Wainwright returned to Castleford
Grammar School as an art teacher, temporarily taking Gostick’s place after she
became ill.
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| Hand-painted vase by Wainwright in the style of Alice Gostick |
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| Base of the same vase above, marked with Wainwright's monogram. |
Gostick also encouraged her pupils to design costume, stage
sets and programmes for school productions.
The experience was invaluable for Wainwright,
who went on to work as a theatrical designer. He received over a hundred costume
and scenery commissions.
His intricate watercolour designs spanned a wide range
of productions.
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| Poster for an exhibition of Wainwright's work at Wakefield Art Gallery in the 1980s. It features an example of his costume design. |
As well as his commercial work, Wainwright was a prolific draughtsman.
He filled many sketchbooks with illustrations and watercolours of local landmarks
and characters, capturing a snapshot of industrial Castleford in the 1920s and
1930s.
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Page from the 'Castleford Notebook', 1928 by Albert Wainwright. Sketch of the cemetery on Red Hill.
With thanks to The Hepworth Wakefield. |
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Page from the 'Castleford Notebook', 1928 by Albert Wainwright. Sketch of factories and mines in Castleford.
With thanks to The Hepworth Wakefield. |
His personal sketchbooks also include many studies of people, including androgynous figures, young men and depictions of male intimacy. Wainwright was gay but homosexuality remained illegal in Britain during his lifetime. It was not decriminalised until 1967, 24 years after his premature death.
Although Wainwright’s sketchbooks were not originally intended for public view, they are a rare record of gay love in the early 20th century.
We are very pleased to have acquired some examples of these
sketchbook pages at auction earlier this year. They are a valuable addition to
our collection. In addition to examples of Wainwright’s ceramics, theatre work
and industrial sketches already in our collection, these sketches of male
intimacy will help us to tell a fuller story of his life and career.
They
reveal a sometimes hidden LGTBQ+ history.
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| Sketch by Albert Wainwright, recently acquired by Wakefield Museums & Castles. Features drawings of schoolboys, including a pair where one is reclining on the other. |
Albert Wainwright sadly died from meningitis aged just 45 in
1943.
He was living in and teaching in Bridlington at the time and had achieved
a name for himself within his native Yorkshire.
Today, his artistic achievement
is increasingly recognised and we are proud to celebrate his work in our
displays at Castleford Library & Museum.
Click here for more LGBTQ+ stories in our collections
Click here to read more about Alice Gostick
Click here for visitor information at Castleford Museum (opens in new page)
