The Tradesmen Painters of North Shields
I’ve always been surprised that North Shields doesn’t have its own school of painters like Cullercoats. Long overshadowed by the ‘Cullercoats Colony’, North Shields is finally being recognised as a hub for artists.
However, a chance trip to a Hexham Antiques Market revealed that there was once a large community of artists in North Shields. On a random stall, I stumbled upon a bit of hidden history – a dusty stack of artists’ sketchbooks and drawings.
They were battered and torn around the edges, but opening the pages revealed a series of beautiful illustrations and sketches. Gorgeous colour sketches of the Tyne and Northumberland leapt off the pages as well as drawings of boats and fishermen.
The antique seller believed they’d come from a house clearance, but knew nothing about the artist. It was time for some detective work, the start of an incredible journey into the artistic world of North Shields.
A name and address was neatly written at the front of one of his sketchbooks – Walter ‘Scott’ Wood of 4 Thrift Street in North Shields. Today, Scott’s family home in Smith’s Dock is long gone, demolished in the slum clearances. The house was close to the terraced street where fellow artist, Victor Noble Rainbird, once lived.
‘The Tradesmen Painters’
Walter Scott Wood was a prolific ‘amateur artist’ who might have made a full time career in painting, if he hadn’t been a plumber. In his spare time, he went on painting trips with his mates in North Shields from the late 1800s until his death in 1929.
From Seaton Sluice and Shields to Bamburgh and Bellingham, they were out with their easels, paints and palettes most weekends. Amongst his arty friends were Edward Brannen and William Ward, photographed with him on one of their forays into Northumberland.
A bit like the ‘Pitmen Painters’, these working class artists held down day jobs in trades and industry. Edward was an electrical engineer, whilst Willie worked as a painter and decorator. Like many tradesmen, Scott and Willie were members of the St George’s Lodge of Freemasons in North Shields.
In the 1880s, Scott was working as a plumber on West Percy Street, and later opened a plumbing business on Lower Bedford Street. William Ward had left school aged 12 to support his family following his father’s death.
He attended local art classes and set up an artist’s studio above his decorating business on Howard Street. Visitors to Ward’s studio included artist John Falconar Slater, a rising star of the North East art scene.
A Family of Artists
With a bit of detective work, I tracked down Scott’s great grandson, Simon Edward Wood, who lives in Newcastle. My exchanges with Simon were revelatory, and the lost world of North Shields’ artists began to unfold.
It turned out that this North Shields family had four painters who moved in artistic circles.
Walter’s father, Adam Wood (1829-1892), was a house painter in North Shields. He was also a talented musician and artist. A handsome self-portrait of him hangs in Simon’s study after he’d rescued it from a fireplace in Whitley Bay some years ago. Another family member, Alfred ‘Stanley’ Wood (1903-1934), Walter’s nephew, was the artistic ‘star’ of the family.
But Stanley was an ‘invalid’, having contracted Spanish Flu in 1919, from which he never fully recovered. He was largely bed-ridden, so found time to develop his painting, tutored by his uncle Walter. From his home at 61 Howard Street, Stanley produced Impressionistic style paintings.
In 1928, Stanley Wood was picked to display three of his works at the Northern Counties Art Exhibition at Newcastle’s Laing Gallery. Wood’s reputation grew, and he was also chosen to exhibit at the prestigious North East Coastal Exhibition at the Palace of Arts in 1929.
The paintings captured working class life including ‘The Ragman’, ‘The Fish Wife’ and ‘The Crystal Gazers’, depicting characters from North Shields. But with a promising future, tragedy struck and poor health derailed Stanley’s artistic career. He died tragically of TB aged 31 years in 1934.
His grief-stricken mother dramatically burned most of his paintings. Fortunately, Simon Wood has discovered some works including two rare paintings from the ‘Ragman’ series.
Blazing a Trail
Another member of the Wood family, George Septimus Wood (1860-1944), was a trailblazer in North Shields. George was an amateur artist and freemason who worked in a drapery shop on West Percy Street, painting in his spare time. He was a founder member of the art club at Tynemouth and regularly exhibited his work in Newcastle.
I’ve discovered that close bonds developed between the artists including evidence of friendships and mutual support. George Horton (1859-1950), born in North Shields, started life as a delivery boy for his butcher father. Horton was one of several artists who set up a fund to pay for a memorial to Adam Wood who died in penury.
The North Shields painters were working class lads with little access to the elite art world. Despite these limitations many developed careers and made an impact. George Balmer. James Shotton, Ralph Waddle Liddell and James Davison Liddell are amongst the best known. Many Tyneside artists were inspired by the town’s riverscapes. John Falconar Slater, John Atkinson and Robert Jobling all painted regularly in North Shields.
Slater was so taken by the area that he moved to Whitley Bay and set up an artist’s studio near Howard Street in North Shields in 1911.
‘The Lost Painters’
Discovering how the Wood family painters formed part of this bigger group of artists has been a voyage of discovery. Like the ‘Pitmen Painters’, these tradesmen artists had nobody pushing their works at auctions or elite circles. For Simon Wood, it has been an incredible project to piece together the collection of family paintings and etchings.
Long forgotten, these ‘Tradesmen Painters’ are being rediscovered after nearly a century in no man’s land. How many more of their paintings might be lurking in attics or hidden away in personal collections? Let us know if you have one!
Part two of this three-part series will appear in the next edition of the magazine on 1st June.
Photo Credits – Notes
All paintings by Adam Wood, Stanley Wood, Septimus Wood and Walter Scott Wood are courtesy and copyright of Simon Wood.
The Walter Scott Wood sketchbooks are by the artist and were photographed by Sue Wilkinson.
All Wood family paintings and sketches are c/o of Simon Wood.
‘The Fair’ (TWCMS : C618) and ‘Fairground’ (TWCMS : C617): North East Museums, Laing Art Gallery.
Additional photos by Sue Wilkinson.
