MUSEUM OF NATURE

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 13

MUSEUM OF NATURE

Historical sketches of Canterbury

(Contributed by the Canterbury Museum)

In an earlier number of this series I reported on the purchase by the Canterbury Museum of an early watercolour of Akaroa Harbour by the eminent European artist, Nicholas Chevalier. Sketched in 1866, the painting was a valuable addition to the museum’s collection of historical sketches of Canterbury interest, already of considerable standing.

Last year the museum broke new ground when Mr Cranleigh Barton of Clifton, Sumner, presented his first instalment of 60 original water colours of Christchurch scenes and the surrounding countryside, painted by him over the last 50 years. Mr Barton since then has most generously agreed to deposit all of his Canterbury sketches with the museum. This is an exciting gift and one which marks a new and important step in the development of the museum s collection of historical sketches; for the first time sketches from our own century are strongly represented and the importance of contemporary history recognised. While all Mr Barton s paintings have unquestionable artistic merit, reflecting something of the artist himself, his collection also has a natural unity as an historical record of the passing scene. Early interest

Bom in 1890 in Feilding, where his father was the manager of the Bank of Australasia, Mr Barton is a great grandson of the Key. Richard Taylor, the notable nineteenth century Maon scholar. He was educated at Huntly School, Wellington College and later , graduated L.L.B? from Victoria College. He joined the Public Trust in 1918 and was for a time acting controller of the Native Division. Mr Barton showed an early bent for painting both in water colours and in oils and this interest took him in 1913 on the first of several tours to Great Britain. He returned to Britain

in 1924 and for the next three years studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London. During this period of his life he exhibited for the Royal British Artists and the Royal Institute of British WaterColour Painters. He also held two one-man exhibitions in Bond Street at one of which Queen Mary bought two of his paintings. Throughout his long life, this strong urge to work in water-colours has been his driving force. The earliest water-colours of the series now prsented to the Museum by Mr Barton were done in 1918 in Opawa and Dallington at a time when these districts could still present an obviously rural character. His latest subject, the Antigua Street boatsheds was painted as recently as 1969. Vanished scenes Many of Mr Barton’s water-colours are now of course of vanished scenes in the city; the curator’s old cottage (now demolished) in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, painted in 1919; the

entrance to Christ’s College 1926 (now completely changed; the wooden school buildings demolished; the trees cut down and the hedge removed); Rolleston Avenue near the Museum 1935, when the Avenue was still lined with its glorious leafy trees in the springtime; Colombo Street Bridge with the tall poplars (now cut down) 1934; the old wooden St Mary’s Catholic Church building, Manchester Street painted the day before its demolition. Not all the water-colours from the collection depict a changing landscape and the substitution of modem for old buildings; many of the scenes are still as they were when painted 30 years ago, and this in itself is a commentary on the city’s development. It is safe to say that Mr Barton’s work will continue to grow in importance, particularly for those who find something worth while to learn from their own city’s past. The museum plans to have a special exhibition of these water-colours later this year. —J.C.W.