Member Article

Historic Coventry paintings donated to city museum by housebuilder

A regional housebuilder has donated two paintings by Coventry artist Victor Hammond to the locally based, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. The paintings have a historic link with the site of its new housing development. Persimmon Homes Central is creating a collection of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes at Paragon Park, in Foleshill Road. The site once housed the Courtaulds factory, which is depicted in one of the paintings, while the other shows men working on a gantry at Coventry Brick Works. The paintings bring to life the city’s industrial heritage. Neil Williams, director-in-charge of Persimmon Homes Central, said: “It is important to us to support the communities in which we build, and it is an honour to be able to preserve a piece of Coventry’s history by buying these pictures and donating them to the museum for all to enjoy.” Victor Hammond is believed to have been a designer or graphic artist in the Coventry car industry from the 1930s through to the 1960s. Art dealer Jenny Tudor, of Jenny Tudor Pictures, found a collection of works by Hammond at a Cotswold auction, including illustrations of cars. She said: “For me, the two stand-out pieces, both dated 1937, were a depiction of men working in the riverside yard at the Courtaulds factory and another of men working on a gantry at Coventry Brick Works. “There is so much period detail in them that I felt they were of social history importance as part of Coventry’s industrial past and should be conserved. I am so pleased that Persimmon Homes has generously decided to buy them to present to the museum. Little is known about Victor Hammond and I hope local people will be able to provide a little more information about this very talented artist.” Cultural and Creative Director, Francis Ranford, said: “The paintings generously gifted by Persimmon Homes will enrich our collection of visual arts by Coventry artists and enable us to share with visitors further insight into the city’s industrial heritage. We are extremely grateful.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Judith Sanders .