Art Work In The Mess
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Art Work In The Mess
I am trying to acquire some original artwork for the mess. The current displays are either prints or too shoddy for words. Rumor has it that there is a store somewhere. Does anyone know if this is true and if so where it is? Many thanks in advance...
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When a mess closes, all the silverware and valuable articles (inc artwork) is sent to a vast central store. I don't know the details, but handbrake house should be able to give you the details and acquiring procedure.
Onceupon a time all this stuff was stored at Quedgely? I don't even know if it is still there.
Be careful what you take in to the mess - insurance is an issue these days.
Be careful what you take in to the mess - insurance is an issue these days.
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Many thanks for the replies. Quedgely (sp?) closed a number of years ago. I will try handbrake house, but I suspect that this level of corporate knowledge may no longer be available.
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The hidden treasure is mostly at MoD Stafford nowadays I believe. I know of one RAF Mess that has a priceless work of art by a famous official war artist and the staff have no idea what it is they walk by each day never mind insuring it for a realistic price. The only clue to location is that it is not a flying station and most residents are very short term visitors. The subject matter is a Lysander.
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Don't worry about 'corporate knowledge'. There are procedures for applying for artifacts from the store.
Handbrake house should be able to find out and brief you on the procedures. Don't be put off by individuals who don't know - they can do research and find out for you.
Handbrake house should be able to find out and brief you on the procedures. Don't be put off by individuals who don't know - they can do research and find out for you.
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Suggest you contact your Loggies rather than the Admin types. It is their world that controls the storage side of things. There are procedures (possibly JSP886 now) for loans etc. I know there was a couple from the Mess Cttee on a previous Unit took a trip up to Stafford to see what was on hand.
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IIRC the Guild of Aviation Artists members lent Benson OM some artwork a few years ago, not sure if that is ongoing. You could always ask the Armed Forces Art Society The Armed Forces Art Society if members are prepared to display their work. The USAF has an art program to promote such things, but the UK Armed forces plc have lost the touch of military traditions. What subject matter are you after?
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Don't forget to keep the books straight. The Mess property book needs to be filled in with full descriptions ie "painting of 2 Spitfires taking off from RAF Muddle in the Mould by IR Spotter, 45cm by 28cm with brown wood frame" not "Spitfire painting"; include photos of the artworks and keep copies. Your Mess Committee House Member needs to regularly check the collection against the book.
Remember that the insurance can be expensive if you get anything really good by someone famous.
Remember that the insurance can be expensive if you get anything really good by someone famous.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Wittering used to have two Shepherd's that were confined to a store room as the paintings of V-bombers was not seen as relevant to the home of No 1 Sqn. Then they found that they were worth £5000 a piece and that 34 years ago!
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Bentley Priory used to have stacks of Wooton originals, the Nottingham Lace, the Adelaide Room, and, of course Dowding's office. The Mess certainly didn't insure the Wootons in the 1980s (something to do with the artist having agreed to re-paint any of the pictures that might be damaged, I seem to recall), Does anybody know where they are now?
I hope that they ended up on the walls of another historic Mess (unless they are being stored pending a successful fund-raising by the Bentley Priory Trust). To put such a collection into storage would be a great shame.
I hope that they ended up on the walls of another historic Mess (unless they are being stored pending a successful fund-raising by the Bentley Priory Trust). To put such a collection into storage would be a great shame.
There is an easier way to obtain some new treasures for your mess!
In true Viz 'top-tips' fashion - simply trawl round other messes dressed as scruffy workmen. When you see something you fancy, tell the mess manager that you are going to remove it for cleaning / restoration / repair. Put priceless art work in the back of your car and have it away.
Worked in the past.
In true Viz 'top-tips' fashion - simply trawl round other messes dressed as scruffy workmen. When you see something you fancy, tell the mess manager that you are going to remove it for cleaning / restoration / repair. Put priceless art work in the back of your car and have it away.
Worked in the past.
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Do it yourself, paint by numbers; simples.
Frank Wootton (RIP) would have a job repainting any of his work nowadays. I suspect that the work discussed earlier was a Wootton Lysander painted during the war years and now resident at Halton. IIRC one of the Wittering Shepherd paintings was taken from store for the office of a starred officer at High Wycombe. I would not expect the RAFM to be keen on lending their works although I know for sure, having seen them, that they have some awesome paintings stashed away. Some of the works discussed are already irreplaceable and insurance could only at best cover the cost of smoke/water damage and subsequent restoration as their true value is priceless. Even the original Robert Taylor Chinook at Odiham OM would need 10k+ to replace.
The americans put us to shame on this subject:
USAF Art Program
Frank Wootton (RIP) would have a job repainting any of his work nowadays. I suspect that the work discussed earlier was a Wootton Lysander painted during the war years and now resident at Halton. IIRC one of the Wittering Shepherd paintings was taken from store for the office of a starred officer at High Wycombe. I would not expect the RAFM to be keen on lending their works although I know for sure, having seen them, that they have some awesome paintings stashed away. Some of the works discussed are already irreplaceable and insurance could only at best cover the cost of smoke/water damage and subsequent restoration as their true value is priceless. Even the original Robert Taylor Chinook at Odiham OM would need 10k+ to replace.
The americans put us to shame on this subject:
USAF Art Program
Last edited by Tiger_mate; 13th Dec 2009 at 21:01. Reason: photo update (finished painting)
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Try Aldergrove Mess and keep your eyes open for any other Messes that may be closing.
Also the RAF Museum is a good POC for advice as mentioned above.
You could also try seeing if other Messes have artwork that is surplus to requirements - some may have stores of artwork or even the odd painting that needs a new home.
GB2
Also the RAF Museum is a good POC for advice as mentioned above.
You could also try seeing if other Messes have artwork that is surplus to requirements - some may have stores of artwork or even the odd painting that needs a new home.
GB2
Despite the proliferation of Messes there, I think that there are still pictures in store in College Hall at Cranwell. Cranwell also borrows artwork from a local gallery, the Usher in Lincoln.
It is important to keep a good record of what you have and where it goes. When the RAF Staff College closed down, it handed on a lot of kit to Cranwell, including one quite famous and valuable portrait of a senior officer from the past. It took a few years before the Imperial War Museum tracked down and reclaimed the picture, which they had loaned to Bracknell!
I once visited the silver stash at Stafford, which was very impressive. I left with an estate car piled high with candelabra. The policy then was that any anonymous silver was available for any justified claimant, but if it bore a Squadron identity, it was kept in case that Squadron was reactivated at any time.
It is important to keep a good record of what you have and where it goes. When the RAF Staff College closed down, it handed on a lot of kit to Cranwell, including one quite famous and valuable portrait of a senior officer from the past. It took a few years before the Imperial War Museum tracked down and reclaimed the picture, which they had loaned to Bracknell!
I once visited the silver stash at Stafford, which was very impressive. I left with an estate car piled high with candelabra. The policy then was that any anonymous silver was available for any justified claimant, but if it bore a Squadron identity, it was kept in case that Squadron was reactivated at any time.
I left with an estate car piled high with candelabra
Got any of the gear left, noprobs? Scrap silver price is pretty high at the moment so I could do you a good price on the lot. PM would probably be best in the first instance.
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I recall visiting the erstwhile Staff College at Bracknell when it had closed to retreive surplus audio visual kit for Trenchard Hall Cranwell. I remember seeing a considerable amount of very nice antique furniture but the WO who escorted us told us that it all belonged to the Senior Service and would be going to Portsmouth even though a failed liberation attempt had been made by an Army unit who had visited with a similar purpose to us! I don't recall a painting of a very senior officer from the past so not guilty on that one! We did take some very attractive RAF Command badges - Coastal, Maintenance etc and a few other items that we thought would look reasonable in Daedalus Mess but the WO steered us away from a small figurine of an ancient Eygptian deity which had been presented many years ago by (presumably) the Eygptian Air Force as he was convinced that it was cursed. We decided not to take it. Now that I have come to the end of my Service career I suppose I should confess something. I did liberate an aluminium plaque with the words "Brooke Popham Lecture Theatre" on it and its in my office now. I had better leave it there as I'm currently on resettlement!
Despite the proliferation of Messes there, I think that there are still pictures in store in College Hall at Cranwell.
However an interesting aspect of the job was that I held all the files on the subject of college paintings going back to pre-war years. These revealed that at various times some significant artworks; on loan from the great estates; including Gainsboroughs and a Canaletto had graced the college walls. Also of interest were all the papers relating to the allocation of official war artist paintings subsequent to the Second World War. There were a great many of them distributed air force wide, I wonder how many have survived.
Even in the 60s and 70s there were still some interesting paintings in the college ranging from Niemeyer's Boston Stump. gifted by Lord Harmsworth ca. 1974 and the enormous Peter Scott that hung in No3 Ante Room. There were also two works by David Shepherd, are they still there I wonder? There were also four original Bairnsfather cartoons, I wouldn't mind having those myself!
But back to the original topic, items in store will probably only be the rather sad and decrepit that no one wants to see any more.
YS