Liverpool Arts: Feature: Liver Sketching Club celebrates its 140th anniversary

England’s oldest art club was founded here in Liverpool 140 years ago, Laura Davis reports

JUST a handful of items survived the flames when an absent-minded member forgot to turn off the radiator in the Liver Sketching Club’s Dale Street premises and the whole place set ablaze.

Among them was a portrait of its former president Charles O’Neill, which hangs on the wall of England’s oldest artists group’s current home, a room filled with easels and lined with shelves packed with art books.

As one of the organisation’s most significant members, O’Neill will be prominently featured in a history of the club, being written by current vice president David Brown to mark its 140th anniversary.

But the loss of many other important documents during the 1936 fire is adding to the challenge.

“I have always liked the idea of having a complete history of the club,” says the retired credit manager, who was also the club’s president in 2005 and 2007.

“There was one written in 1907 that is very flowery and a short version done 10 years ago.

“When I was arranging to take our archive of documents to the Liverpool Record Office for safekeeping I read them all and there was stuff in there that staggered me.”

There was nothing new about founding an art group in the late-19th century, when Liverpool College art master Samuel Burkinshaw set up the Liverpool Amateur Sketching Club with 10 of his students to encourage the instruction and practice of the arts.

But at the ripe old age of 140, the Liver Sketching Club (the name later changed to include professional artists) is the oldest in England.

From its original meeting place in St Augustine’s School in Salisbury Street to its current premises within Gostins Building on Hanover Street, the association has made its home in various locations across the city centre.

It now has around 90 members – the oldest is 93-year-old Eddie Shakeshaft – who attend at least one of its seven meetings held each week. It’s current president is Mike Thomas and Lloyd Grossman is its patron.