Harris Appeal to Save Preston Painting
Staff and supporters of the Harris Museum & Art Gallery are entering the final phase of their push to raise enough money to save a unique painting of Preston.
Led by charity the Friends of the Harris, hundreds of people have made donations totalling half of the £4400 needed to rescue the work which is in danger of decaying to the point where it can no longer be displayed. The decay is due to poor restoration work which took place before the museum bought the painting in the 1950s. The Friends have produced a 2-minute film to explain why the painting needs to be saved for future generations, which can be seen on You Tube here: http://bit.ly/1iKw2hv
Local people can donate online by visiting www.thebiggive.org.uk and searching for ‘Preston’ or can pop into the museum and make a donation by cash, card or cheque at the shop. All donations, however small, will be gratefully received.
Conservators at Lancashire County Museums Conservation Studio are on standby to give the painting the special care it desperately needs. With your help they will be able to undertake the painstaking work to:
• remove discoloured varnish, old retouching and overpaint
• patch damage with synthetic fabric and adhesive, and strip line edges
• fill and in-paint areas of paint loss and then re-varnish the painting
• provide a new frame backing board and non-reflective lightweight glazing
Visitors to the Harris have just a few days left to see the fragile View of Preston from 1821 by John Jenkinson which is on show in the museum’s
A Green and Pleasant Land exhibition until Sunday 27th September.
Cllr Veronica Afrin, cabinet member for culture and leisure services says,
“This is such a popular and important painting that we need to make sure it survives, for the benefit of all our visitors for years to come. It is a unique historic view of Preston as a new industrial city with countryside all around, including sights we would recognise today like St. John’s Minster and Avenham Colonnade. Without specialist treatment it will be lost forever.”
Chair of the Friends of the Harris, Greta Krypczyk-Oddy, says,
“We are leading the Preston Painting Campaign because we want future generations to enjoy and learn from this historic painting. I urge everyone who cares about Preston’s history to make a donation if they haven’t already.”
About the Harris Museum & Art Gallery:
The Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston, is one of the leading museums in the North West and features contemporary art, fine art, decorative art and historic collections of national significance including a major collection of British painting with a focus on Preston and the wider north. The Harris is a major tourist attraction, welcoming over 220,000 visitors per year and is owned and managed by Preston City Council.
Located in the heart of Preston in a stunning Grade 1 listed building, it hosts a wide range of exhibitions and events. The museum shop stocks a range of gifts for adults and children based on the museum’s collections and souvenirs relating to Preston.
Exhibitions are free and are open Mon 11-5 and Tues – Sat 10am-5pm.
Closed Sun and Bank Hols. The museum will also be open on Sunday 27 September from 11am – 4pm to support the Lancashire Encounter festival.
W: harrismuseum.org.uk
Facebook: HarrisMuseumAndArtGallery
Twitter: @Harrispreston
Email: [email protected]
About the Friends of the Harris:
The Friends of the Harris is a registered charity (503726) which has been supporting the museum’s work since the 1970s. With over 300 members it holds a range of social activities and events focused on the museum and provides additional financial support for exhibitions, events, collections care, family activities and museum marketing.
W: harrismuseum.org.uk/support-us
Facebook: Friends of the Harris
Twitter: @harrisfriends
Email: [email protected]