Shoosmith watercolours find new home in gallery

A historic art collection that celebrates the legacy of the Shoosmith family has returned to public display following a gallery's major redevelopment.

The Shoosmith Gallery showcases the works of siblings Thurston Laidlaw Shoosmith, Fanny Violet Shoosmith, and William Buxton Shoosmith, who lived in Northampton and painted in late 19th Century and early 20th Century.

The gallery has reopened in a new location after five years of being housed in the Delapre Abbey, Northampton, and will exhibit about 60 paintings by the family.

Paula Allen, from The Shoosmith Gallery, said: "We've spent six weeks transforming the space to a permanent space to exhibit the watercolour collections of the family."

The Shoosmith Gallery, which was previously open by appointment only, has now been relocated to a permanent home within the Common Ground cafe in the abbey and has its own entrance.

Thurston Laidlaw Shoosmith was a celebrated watercolourist and a member of the Royal Society of British Artists.

He was also a solicitor who in 1845 established the law firm William Shoosmith, which would later become Shoosmith & Sons and eventually grow into the nationally recognised law firm Shoosmiths.

His art gained attention throughout the 19th century and included a commission to paint a miniature watercolour for Queen Mary's Dolls' House, which is displayed at Windsor Castle.

Bushra Hamid, the chair of board of trustees at the Shoosmith Gallery, said: "He was an excellent solicitor, but in his spare time he travelled across the country. He was quite famous by the turn of the century."

The Shoosmith collection was donated to Northampton Museum and Art Gallery following Thurston's death in 1933.

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