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A J Mundella Portrait and Bust Rescue and Restoration

For most of its life the portrait of the Mundella Grammar School’s founder had hung on the walls of the School. Then for many years it was hidden away at the Roland Green School, now Nottingham Emmanuel at Wilford. 

 
In 2009 the Bromley House Library took delivery of the painting and bust, agreeing to display them both, and thus began a fundraising campaign to restore the dirty, damaged portrait and frame, and the grimy bust. As the Library was already in the process of funding repair of its own collection of paintings, it was decided to contact Old Mundellans using the online Mundella Honours Board, Friends Reunited, and Facebook, to raise funds.

Four hundred and seventy emails later over £1,355 was donated to the fund (with Gift Aid the sum rose to £1,675).

 
The painting had, for some time, been attributed to the artist Sir Arthur Stockdale Cope but without evidence of a signature it was difficult to validate this. Then Dick Powell, the restorer, discovered exactly that.  The signature of A. J. Black. Arthur John Black (1855-1936) exhibited at the R.A, the ROI, and was a member of the Nottingham Society of Artists. The marble bust of AJ Mundella is by the sculptor Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm 1834-90 and was commissioned in recognition of his work for the poor and paid for by subscription from thousands of factory workers from Hine and Mundella, chiefly women and children.
 
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A big thank you from Sue Severn at Bromley House, and all of us at the Mundella Website, to those who have supported the appeal and contributed so generously, making it the huge success it is. Also thank you to those who have given their time, whether by phone, letter or email and shared such happy and interesting memories of their days at Mundella. I'm sure we will have a celebration event at the library when everything is finally in place.

It's Heritage Open Day at Bromley House Library on Saturday September 11th. This will give everybody the opportunity to view the restored portrait of AJ Mundella, although the bust is still being restored.

Heritage Open Days celebrate England's fantastic architecture and culture by offering free access to properties that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission.   

The Library will be open from 10.00am and offers non members the opportunity to look around the library. Membership enquiries are welcome.The last entry will be at 3.30pm. There is no need for people to book but we do say be prepared for a short wait as numbers admitted may be limited if it becomes very busy.
 

10 birthday logo

It's our 10th Birthday!

Your Mundella web site is 10 years old this year and to celebrate we have given the site a makeover.

Thank you to all of the contributors for providing articles, photographs etc which make the site so interesting.  We are always on the lookout for new contributions so if you have any memories of Mundella we would like you to share them with us. 

We hope that you like the new design of the site and that you will continue visiting us as we add more content. 

 

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The oil painting and marble bust of our founder, Anthony John Mundella, have a new home...

Bromley House Library, a historic Grade II* listed subscription library, built in 1752, has agreed that they will accept a loan of our School's painting and bust of Anthony John Mundella, and display them in their lovely Georgian town house in the centre of Nottingham. 


The beautifully framed painting is by the artist Sir Arthur Stockdale Cope (1857-1940). 


In recognition of Mundella's work for the poor, a marble bust was commissioned. The bust, presented to Mundella's widow upon his death in 1897, was paid for by the subscription of eighty thousand factory workers of Mine and Mundella, chiefly women and children, in grateful acknowledgment of her husband's services, and is the work of Sir Edgar Boehm. 


Though the bust is in relative good condition and may simply require cleaning, the painting and its frame are in very poor condition. Restoration of the painting, frame and bust is estimated to cost in the region of £1,300. 


Bromley House is in the process of funding the repair of its own collection of Nottingham paintings and is, unfortunately, not in a position to meet this cost. 


Can we get together to raise the cost of restoration? 


As the Library is a charity, donations to the Mundella Appeal qualify for Gift Aid. If you are a tax payer and you gift aid your donation, an additional 28p in the pound comes to Bromley House Library to support the Mundella Appeal at no extra cost to you. If you are a higher rate tax payer, you can claim the payment (plus 25% of it, being the tax you paid at the basic rate) as a deduction from your income in calculating your higher rate liability. 


A Gift Aid form can be printed out from the link below. Any contribution will be hugely appreciated. 

Thank you. 


David Pearson
Margaret Astill
on behalf of the Bromley House Library Mundella Picture Restoration Appeal December 2009. 

 


If you wish to donate by cheque or Direct Debit, please use the Gift Aid Form.
 

Portarait of A J Mundella


A J Mundella Appeal

For a few years now, a small group of Mundellans has been mounting rescue expeditions to secure the safety of any relics left from the old school.

The 2 items that caused most concern were the big oil painting of Anthony John Mundella, and the marble bust and plinth. It has been difficult to find a home for these, but we are now proud to announce that the Bromley House Library in Nottingham has agreed to take the painting and the bust on long-term loan, and to display them in a most beautiful setting when their hallway has been refurbished.

If you don't know the Library, see www.bromleyhouse.org and if you wish to join or pay them a visit, the contact is Sue Severn 0115 9473134.

The painting will require some renovation, and we are therefore asking for your help.

 

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