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L.S. Lowry RA 1887-1976

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L.S. Lowry - The Old Customs House

The Old Customs House, 1963

Pencil drawing
10 x 13¾ ins (25.40 x 34.92 cms)
Signed and dated

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Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist by W.E. Johnson, circa 1963
Thence by family descent to the present owner
Private Collection, U.K.

General Notes

The Stockton on Tees Custom House in Finkle Street was built in 1730. It later became an hotel. It was demolished circa 1968 and is now the site of the Castle Centre car park ramp!

The present work was commissioned by W.E. Johnson because the Customs House building in Stockton on Tees was scheduled for demolition as part of the Stockton Town Centre refurbishment. He had always admired the building and felt there should be a permanent record of it. The figure on the bottom right of the drawing is undoubtedly L.S. Lowry. W.E. (Bill) Johnson was a freelance art historian and lecturer and long time Art Critic for The Northern Echo. He was a well known figure on the North East's art scene and worked for Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham and Leeds Universities, as well as The Open University. He knew Lowry over many years, being instrumental in securing a commission for him from The Friends of Middlesbrough Art Gallery which resulted in Lowry's painting of St. Hilda's Church in Middlesbrough. He was acknowledged as something of a "Lowry expert" in the region as a consequence. Lowry stayed with the Johnson family in Stockton on Tees for a week in September 1958.

There is a rough preparatory sketch of the Old Customs House on the back of the drawing. Lowry has also titled, signed and dated the back of the drawing and has written the full home address of W.E. Johnson at the bottom of the page. A photograph of this information is included with this work.


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