Press Release

Work of Hugh Thomson on show at Tower Museum

Thuesday, 8th March 2007

Derry City Council’s, Heritage and Museum Service will launch a fascinating exhibition of the work of Hugh Thomson in the Tower Museum on Tuesday next, 13th March. The exhibition will be open to the public until the end of April.

As you like it, by Hugh Thomas

The unique collection includes over 800 items including 514 works of art and 168 books from his personal library. Over 30 years ago J & J Gamble from Emerald Isle Books, Belfast, had purchased the collection from Thomson’s nephew when he was still in Donegal. It had remained with the Gambles ever since.

Coleraine Borough Council has acquired the Hugh Thomson collection, with support from the National Art Collection Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. The collection was first showcased in Coleraine in 2006 and a close working relationship with Coleraine’s Museum staff led to the agreement for the exhibition to travel to Derry. It is the first exhibition outside Thomson’s home-town of Coleraine.

Bernadette Walsh, Archivist with the Heritage and Museum Service is delighted that the Tower Museum is housing this unique exhibition and encouraging members of the public to come along and view the fascinating array of artwork and books. She commented: “The Museum Service purchased a pencil drawing by Hugh Thomson in 2005, the black and white pencil drawing shows the city from the west bank of the river Foyle, this drawing will also go on display for the first time.”

College Green, by Hugh Thomas

Hugh Thomson was born in Kingsgate Street Coleraine in 1860, he studied at Coleraine Model School and worked as a teenager in Gibbon & Sons, the linen merchants on the Strand Road. H.A. Gribbon recognised Hugh’s artistic talent and recommended him to Marcus Ward & Co., Belfast the prestigious award winning printers and publishers. It was there under head designer John Vinycomb that Thomson developed his skills as an illustrator. The influence of his artistic development with Vinycomb can be seen throughout his career - his attention to detail, his skills in different mediums, his extraordinary ability to capture people, places and the natural world.

Bernadette Walsh, explained: “Hugh Thomson is considered to be amongst the best Victorian book illustrators. Working with publishers Macmillan & Co,. from 1883 he went on to illustrate works by numerous Victorian authors including Charles Dickens, Oliver Goldsmith, Robert Buchanan, Elizabeth Gaskell, R. B. Sheridan, George Eliot, William Makepeace Thackeray and he famously illustrated all of the Jane Austen novels. This is an opportunity to see a large collection of his works one place.”

Máire Gallagher, Committee Member for the Heritage Lottery Fund commented ‘HLF is delighted to have helped acquire this wonderful set of drawings and illustrations by the accomplished artist Hugh Thompson with a grant of £90,000. It’s also a particular pleasure to now see the exhibition on display in the Tower Museum, a venue we have also been very pleased to support with lottery funding.’

Admission to the exhibition is free. The Tower Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 4.30 pm.

Ends

Notes to Editor:

The Mayor, Cllr Helen Quigley will officially open the exhibition at the Tower Museum on Tuesday, 13th March at 7.30 pm. Among the guest speakers will be Ken McGilloway, from the McGilloway Gallery on Shipquay Street; Chris Bailey from the Northern Ireland Museums Council, Ashleigh Kirkpatrick from Coleraine Borough Council and Bernadette Walsh, from Derry City Council. Photographers are invited to attend.

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