Edward Bawden and Morley College

Having seen Morley Gallery's "Edward Bawden, Storyteller" exhibition, and watched its tv programmes about the artist made in 1963 and 1983, I went to the refectory to see the "Canterbury Tales" murals he worked on in the 1950s. He had had a hand in the original (Shakesperian) murals (1930) that were destroyed in bombing ten years later.

In 1955 funding was secured to have new murals painted. My photos, taken on a sunny day, are impossible -

(better photos are here).

Some details -

Two items in the exhibition were commissioned by hotelier Tom Laughton, brother of the actor Charles Laughton - one was this peep show for the Pavilion Hotel in Scarborough -

which shows a seaside scene, in tunnel-book format. Hardly visible behind it, the large painting is of Scarborough - on a "forgotten" map that once graced the children's section of the library (via) -

Also shown were tapestry designs from 1983, sampled at Dovecote Studios (via) -

Bawden (1903-1989) is known for his book illustration and posters. He saw no difference between fine art and the work he did [nor should we...]; he blamed his productivity on habit: "I can't easily get out of it."