Thomas Hair exhibition opens - March 21st 2011

A new exhibition at Woodhorn will give visitors a fascinating insight into both the history of the region and the remarkable watercolour paintings of North East artist, Thomas Harrison Hair.

Hair was born just over two hundred years ago on Tyneside and he began his working life with a local engraver and lithographer. From being a young man he painted the industrial landscape and this superb exhibition features forty-two watercolour and ink drawings depicting mining scenes throughout the North East of England which he produced between about 1828 and 1842. The drawings were preparatory studies for etched illustrations in his book “Views of the Collieries in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham, 1844”.

Liz Ritson, Woodhorn’s Events and Exhibitions Officer believes visitors will be surprised by the paintings.

“The Collection will be of interest to so many people. It is not just amazing documentation of the region’s industrial heritage, but the individual images evoke the conditions of the people who lived and worked in the mining communities. It is a fascinating record of local history,” says Liz. “And some of these images are of places that people today would not associate with coal – Gosforth for example.

“Aside from the industrial aspect to the paintings, visitors will also appreciate the skill of Hair as an artist,” explained Liz. “There’s a delicacy to the work that you might not expect with the subject matter. You won’t have to be interested in the region’s history to enjoy that.”

The exhibition is on loan from the Hatton Gallery, Newcastle University (Tyne & Wear Museums & Archives) and it will be available to Woodhorn visitors until 12 June.