THE headlines tell me that an interesting collection of marine art, much of it by Liverpool artists, is coming to a North Wales auction next week. It includes several paintings I’d love to own.
The collection was created by Birkenhead-born Peter Davenport, a former professional footballer and manager of Southport, Bangor City and Colwyn Bay. Unlike me, who has collected almost anything and everything I could afford (cheap, that is) Mr Davenport was a man with a plan.
The seed was sown by a painting – an aerial view of Liverpool and its waterfront – that his mother bought which he recalls from his childhood but the inspiration was Marine Art & Liverpool, a book by retired Liverpool surgeon Sam Davidson. Peter Davenport describes it as his bible.
I have a copy of it too – I was fortunate enough to meet the author when it was published in 1986 – and looking through its pages, it is clear how it guided Mr Davenport’s purchases. "When the book came out it, it became obvious to me that late 19th and 20th century maritime art by the painters listed was exactly what I was looking for," he says.
"I’ve done a great deal of research on my own account since, but I freely admit Sam Davidson’s book was my inspiration. We’ll have to see whether or not what I collected proves to have been a good investment, but I’ve enjoyed owning them and looking at them over the years."
Oils by the prolific Birkenhead artist Frank Henry Mason (1875-1965) once a cadet at the HMS Conway naval school, and Crosby-born Gordon Ellis (1921-1979) who at 13 persuaded the Dock Board to give him a special pass allowing him access to draw and paint on the dockside have estimates up to £2,800. Beyond my reach and anyway, they’ll make even more.
I’ll be looking to pick a bargain in the hundreds of pounds and there are several from which to choose., that is as far as the estimates are concerned. With any auction, the proof will be in the pudding.
Given my head I’d have a go at one of three watercolours by Liverpool-born Samuel John Milton Brown (1873-1963). His inspiration came from his mother who was from a shipping family and whose father was both a seafarer and an artist. According to the Davidson bible, Sam Brown was educated at Liverpool College and apprenticed to a firm of lithographers at the age of 14. He quit because he was not allowed to draw ships. Spare time was spent at the Pier Head learning about ships and shipping and he even made several voyages to increase his knowledge.
