Forums Forums Wanted - Items Repair an oil painting

I am not sure if this is an appropriate forum but here goes.

I have an oil painting dated 1906 or there abouts. I have not actually unwrapped the thing for near 30 years. The artist is W.H.Gore and the scene is the interior of a barn with a couple of cows and through the window you can see a church with a separate tower next to it. yes, it is very obviously St Hilary's church and the old tower. from the position of the church and tower I would guess 9big guess) the barn would have been somewhere around Wallasey Village/ Sandy lane area.

The paining was bequethed to me by two ancient relatives many years ago. They lived in Grave Road - not far from the Wallasey Village/ Sandy Lane area so it is perfectly feasible that the paining is of the village area. Frankly it is not the sort of thing you hang on the average domestic wall so it was always consigned to the loft - WHERE IT WAS DAMAGED.

I think it was leaned against a beam with a nail or the like because there is a tear of about 1 1/2 inched more or less in the middle of the canvas.

For the last 30 years the painting in the frame has been faced each side with hardboard, wrapped in bubble wrap and has never seen the light of day. Because I am rebuilding the loft of my house I have recently had to move it many times.

It is daft for a painting like that to be kept covered. To my (totally untutoured eye it has little artistic merit but the name WH Gore doe get hits on Google). Despite my opinions about the artistic merit the painting does obviously have a local history content and I suspect it is worth having the damage repaired and then finding somewhere that would accept it for display - eg maybe even St Hilary's Church since the view of that church is the one obvious element of the painted scene.

Question - does anyone have knowledge or know of someone/ some organiasation who would have knowledge enough to be able to estimate the feasibility and cost of a repair?

In due course (when my loft upgrade is more complete I will unwrap the painting and photograph it

Snod

Hi Snod
I work in National Museums Liverpool and can suggest you contact our paintings conservators who will either be able to help you personally, or put you onto someone else who can - 207 0001 and ask for paintings conservation.
If you need more help about the artist or the picture, try The Walker's Fine Art Dept. They do an opinion service on Thursdays but they're not on at the moment. I think they start again in March so try ringing round the end of the month - 478 4103.

Many thanks

That is just the sort of lead I was hoping would come from someone in our community. Since the paining has been wrapped up and out of my sight for 30 years, and was hardly ever seen by anyone else in the 40 years before that - then I guess there is no hurry!

However, now my loft conversion is nearing completion the picture and frame will be very obvious up there and I am SURE to be remined frequently by the Mrs to "do" something. The converted loft is intended to be her gym and activities room

I will check with the phone number you quote and by arrangement will then hopefully come March or when the Walker Fine Arts may be operational I will unpack the picture and take it over.

Thanks again

Snod

William Henry Gore 1880-1927

Search on the above and you should find a few hits.

William Henry Gore indeed. He exhibited between 1880 and 1916. He's down in the British Artist directory 1880-1940, Vol V as : landscape and figure painter. RBA 1893. He exhibited in the Liverpool Autumn Exhibitions, with 35 exhibits. Don't think they were all in the same year. If you want to check which pieces he showed, the run of catalogues is available to view by appoinment at the Walker. Perhaps yours was one of the ones he displayed.

There was certainly a W.H.Gore living in Wallasey in 1908. A websearch revealed

http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/crimesL.html

In which there is an item recording that a Charles Henry Jones (22) was charged with burglary at 3 houes in Seabank Road, one of which was that of Mr W.H. Gore from whom he stole a violin and bow, a serviette ring and a bottle of whiskey.

Fascinating stuff

Snod

memory plays tricks as we all know. Today I finished putting the last of the floor down in the loft, cleaned up and - - simply could not resist taking the wraps off the old oil painting.

It was "more or less" as I remembered it for 30+ years ago, but not quite

a. The church viwed through the open doorway is most certainly not St Hillary's. There is only one tower and the church seems to be set in a dell rather than on a hill.

b. The signature is not definitive for WH Gore. It is simply W=H=G and the date 1911. I do remember very well however that the old aunts from whom I inherited the painting quite clearly told me it was painted by Mr Gore. Whether that is the same Mr Gore as Diggingdeeper indicates I do not know. Circumstantial evidence is high. I expect any authority familiar with the paintings of 'the' Mr Gore will be well aware of his usual signature.

Having unwrapped the painting I have taken a few (poor) initial photographs of the while painting, the signature, the church / canvas damage, the canvas damage seen from the rear and a canvas suppliers mark from the rear of the painting (Rowney).

For the moment I have just attached the first two photos.
Tomorrow I will hope for a bright day and will take some better photos

Comment from anyone knowlegeable about these sort of things will be appreciated

Snod

Hi Snod
If I get a chance, I'll try to have a look at the Autumn exhibition catalogues. They will list the titles of the paintings by gore. One of them might describe the painting you show. As I said before, you can come in and view them yourself by appointment. Generally, the curators will do ti if there's a few to find, but 35 is quite a lot. It wouldn't take that long to do for you, maybe a couple of hours, the catalogues are well organised. It might be beneficial for the sakes of identifying it and possible value etc.
Sorry I can't be of more help, i work in Decorative Art, not Fine Art