dappled sky. august 2012. bringing back the burslem boys

August 2012. ©Deborah Nicklin for DappledSky.com

Bringing Back The Burslem Boys

So one day, I got this email, from a guy named Mark Finney. He said that he was planning an exhibition at the Barewall Gallery in Burslem, Stoke on Trent, in October and he told me that it would be about three local artists. Three art students who attended Burslem School of Art during the Second World War - Arthur Berry, John Shelton and Norman Cope. Then he told me that he’d never staged an exhibition before, so I wondered why this one? Why these artists? What was the connection to him? I wanted to find out more and agreed to meet him and his friends Helen and Terry at Trentham Gardens for a slice of cake and a good cuppa.

Mark Finney holding a monotype by artist John Shelton


Mark grew up in Stoke on Trent, but moved away 17 years ago. He confesses to having no background in the arts; in fact he used to be a weatherman! So, I asked Mark how his adventure into the art world started. He replied, “It was by chance really! Literally! My little boy had seen a painting by a local artist named Paine Proffitt when we were back up in Stoke visiting family and we had gone to see a Port Vale football match. So, because my little boy liked this painting so much and I really liked it too, I decided I would to go to the Barewall Gallery in Burslem where Paine’s work was on show, and enquire about buying it.” How did that get you interested in these three painters from the 40’s? “Whilst I was at the gallery I heard about two monotypes by the artist John Shelton that were possibly for sale. I saw the prints and I decided that I would love to buy them. If I hadn’t been at the gallery at that moment I wouldn’t have known about them. From there it now feels like a series of chance happenings have led me to this point and now, two years later, I am attempting to put together my first art exhibition at Barewall.” Mark explained how it has developed from a vague idea to actually happening and how other people have come onboard to help him out, like the relatives of the artists. “Well it was another strange coincidence how we all came together - it happened when I posted a short article about the artist John Shelton on my blog. In the article I briefly mentioned another artist, Norman Cope. A few days later I noticed that someone in Romania of all places, had looked at the blog post. Then I received a message. It turned out that the person in Romania was a guy named Michael, the nephew of Norman Cope. He was living and working out in Romania at the time and had decided to do a quick internet search about his uncle Norman, just to see if anyone knew about his paintings, and he came across my site. That led to me meeting up with Helen, Michael’s sister - Norman Cope’s niece.” “One thing has led to another really. I’m so lucky that Helen came onboard and helped me to pull together Norman’s side of the story because I seriously thought that all of Norman’s paintings were probably lost or forgotten over time. I’m also really grateful to John Shelton’s wife, Vera and also Arthur Berry’s wife Cynthia. All three ladies have been so generous by letting me see diaries and letters, sketchbooks, and for including examples of their oils, drawings and monotypes that they own into the exhibition.”


Helen Jones holding an etching by her uncle Norman Cope.

Some people will have heard of Arthur Berry and other famous artists and designers associated with Burslem School of Art, such as teachers Gordon Forsyth and Reginald Haggar, plus ex-students who went on to do great things in the ceramics world - Clarice Cliff and Susie Cooper. But what was the connection between these three particular artists - Cope Shelton and Berry? Three likely lads in Stoke on Trent, studying art in Burslem - were they special, what bonded them together? Mark and Helen explained how Shelton, Berry and Cope all studied in Burslem together in the 1940’s, but they all went their separate ways to


pursue what was important to them. Norman Cope was the first to leave the nest by gaining a place at Edinburgh College of Art. There was maybe a hint of jealousy with the other that Cope had got in, but they were also proud of Norman because they recognised his talent. In later years John Shelton went to the Slade School of Art, and Arthur Berry went on to the Royal College of Art. They kept their bond of friendship alive through letters and met up when ever possible. There is so much that can be said, from reading what they wrote in their letters to each other. But what is so compelling is the last time the three artists were all together on the fateful night of the Burslem School of Art Christmas Ball, 16th December 1943. This night brought a tragic twist to the story, which makes the exhibition so emotional.

Burslem School of Art, Queen Street, Burslem. Now a multi-use arts venue and home to the local library


All three were keen to see each other again and just before Christmas 1943, Norman Cope came home to his parent’s house in Fenton, Stoke on Trent, making his way from Edinburgh for the holidays. Once he had got home he had mentioned that felt a little under the weather, and maybe he had a cold or virus of some kind starting, but that wasn’t going to stop him from meeting the boys, other friends and the teachers from his old college.

On the night of the ball they met up and shared stories, and Berry and Cope went to a local pub in Burslem for glass of whiskey and rum to start the night. Norman was usually a tea-totaller but considered that it might help shake off the cold. Later they made their way back to the School of Art. As Norman ran up the staircase inside the building, taking two or three steps in his stride at a time, he slipped and fell backwards. He banged his head on the step as he landed. He seemed OK, just a little woozy but he told people not to fuss over him and his friends thought that maybe it was the effect of the few drinks earlier. After a while Norman wanted to rest and lay on the Fire Watchman’s mattress situated in the school’s metalwork room. Arthur decided to stay by his side all night to check that he was fine and John rested in the next room. All was quiet and they all went to sleep. In the morning light, after such fun and excitement of the night before, devastation hit Arthur, John and all the all the Cope family, nothing would


ever be the same again. Norman was dead. Arthur and John were horrified to find that Norman had died in the early hours of the morning – aged just 18 years of age and with so much promise ahead of him. A post-mortem report posted in the Sentinel newspaper a few days later outlined that Norman had a comparatively thin skull and unfortunately this made him more susceptible to sustain a fracture. Following Norman’s death, his brother collected all his possessions and paintings from Edinburgh and these have fortunately been passed down the Cope family tree. Some of the friends’ original photographs and letters on the lead up to that night at the Christmas Ball, will also form part of the exhibition at Barewall.

Mark holds one of John Shelton’s monotype and Helen holds Norman Cope’s self portrait.

Helen reflected on what happened that fateful night and how it affected everyone in the family, “Reading the letters, looking at the photos makes me feel sad. But particularly looking at his self-portrait, he’s looking straight at me, so self-assured, it’s just so sad. I often think about what he may’ve become. Who knows? It’s so sad, he was so young.” Helen continues, “I remember that my grandmother, kept all of Norman’s things in his room and kept the door shut. We were never allowed in there,


it was kept like a sacred place. She was a jolly and happy woman, but it is clear that she missed her son so much. It really affected all the family.” I asked Helen which of Norman’s paintings is her favourite and she said that it is small and very detailed piece called “Adam and Eve” which he did in 1943, the year he died. I asked Helen why she liked it so much.

“It’s so grotesque, “ Helen laughs, “but very detailed. I guess it’s quite tame compared to some of the other work he did, like the piece that shows several soldiers on leave, in the pub, that’s a dark piece. It strikes me that he was a very focused, serious young man.” Mark added, “Apparently when Arthur Berry saw Norman’s entrance examination painting for Burslem School of Art, Arthur felt that Norman‘s work set such a high standard, that maybe Arthur had no chance of getting in to the college - Cope’s work blew him away.” Arthur Berry was born in Smallthorne, Stoke on Trent, and went on to become the most well known artist of the three, yet he probably is not recognised as much as he should have been, often compared to another Northern, gritty painter, L.S Lowry. Maybe this was because like Lowry and Shelton, Berry’s works often comment on the world of the workingman, the lives of everyday people. Maybe such gritty realism is not to everyone’s taste but they were telling the tales of everyday people, nobody special, blokes in pubs after a hard days graft, working men covered in grime, soldiers on leave, pigeon fanciers, people on the street, farmer’s wives and scenes of the allotments and bottle kilns of the Potteries. Arthur was well known for writing about his exploits. His written work included his autobiography “A Three and Sevenpence Halfpenny Man” plus other written works such as “Dandelions” (a volume of poems), and “The Little Gold-Mine” a collection of stories about Potteries life, plus plays that were performed at the New Vic Theatre, where the director Peter Cheeseman became a great supporter and collector of Berry’s work.


John Shelton was raised as John Hancock, by his parents, in the Shelton, area of Stoke on Trent. He later changed his name from Hancock to Shelton, this was reported to have happened following a row with his father – he may have changed his name but obviously that local connection was important for John.

John had polio as a child and this gave him a limp and maybe explains why he was never called up to fight in the war but in 1941 he did leave the college to work as a clerk for the Ministry of Manpower and then for British Small Arms, until he returned to Burslem School of Art in 1943. In 1945 he was awarded a scholarship for the Slade School of Fine Art in London and then left Stoke on Trent for a while, but he did return again later. John shared a house with Berry in London in the 1950’s, which was exciting and vibrant period, greatly influenced by other artists who they were hanging out with. Towards the end of Shelton’s life he stopped signing his work as Shelton - just simply “John”, and created a wonderful, colourful set of circus based paintings. These paintings seemed to reflect on his childhood and the relationship with his father in those happy, probably idealised years before he contracted polio as a boy.


Night out with Robert -My Father and Me, 1928. Oil canvas 1988 Image taken from Mark’s blog http://finbofinbo.wordpress.com

The Brampton Museum and Art Gallery, in Newcastle under Lyme, held a retrospective of around sixty of Shelton’s paintings and ceramics in 1983. John died ten years later, shortly after his 70th birthday in 1993. There is so much detail that I’ve not even mentioned here, that Mark has unearthed and written on his blog. It was lovely to watch how Mark, Helen and Helen’s husband Terry could have stayed in the café at Trentham all afternoon chatting about their passion for these three artists and their enthusiasm for this exhibition.


With these stories unfolding, I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibition in October. Visitors will also be able to read some excerpts from the letters that Helen owns and see works that Vera Shelton and Cynthia Berry have also supplied. Mark is glad to have Paula and Amanda at Barewall for guidance in hanging the show, and he is also calling on Paine Proffitt and Rachel Grant to bring the text together for the exhibition. People are definitely coming together to make sure this exhibition happens. It is almost like the Burslem Boys are watching down and guiding the course of everyone’s paths, bringing people together, to be in the right place at the right time, making things happen…. a chance series of events.

Barewall Gallery, Market Place Burslem.

The venue for the forthcoming “Burslem Boys” exhibition October 20th- 27th 2012.

For more news about the exhibition from October 20th - 27th and to get yourself on the guest list, check out Barewall website and join the mailing list. http://www.barewall.co.uk

dappled sky. august 2012. bringing back the burslem boys

Documents

artist john shelton

barewall gallery

art exhibition

mark finney

uncle norman

burslem school of art

nephew of norman cope

art world