Harold Dearden Unsung Swindon Son.
Should you ever feel the urge to do a Google search on ‘famous people from Swindon’, Wikipedia helpfully presents you with an eclectic list that’s a good fifty names long. Some of them are household names, Diana Dors for instance. Also, XTC, Gilbert O’Sullivan and Billie Piper to name but a few. Pleasingly the list includes some not-quite-household-names-that-should-be. I’m thinking here of the Hammerman poet – Alfred Williams, the jazz drummer Colin Bailey and writer Ralph Bates. And, speaking of him, why the town doesn’t celebrate a man dubbed El Fantastico by the Spanish is beyond me!
Art for art’s sake
What feels a shame is that the list doesn’t feature any of the well-known artists that Swindon has spawned. A list that would be fifty-strong at least I’m sure. In fact, were I to start writing Swindon in 50 Artists I suspect I’d have a problem stopping at fifty. Anyway, talking about the Wikipedia list allows me to segue into the unsung son of Swindon that I want to talk a little more about: Harold Dearden. I recently attended a talk given to the Friends of Museum and Art Swindon by Harold’s grandson, Philip. And it’s that talk that’s inspired mention of him here. At this point I must acknowledge Philip for his kindness in sharing his material with me to use here.
Although not Swindon-born, Harold’s contribution to the arts in Swindon is so great that he absolutely counts as a son of Swindon. Well at least as far as I’m concerned, he does.
Harold Dearden – 1888 to 1969 – From Rochdale to Swindon
Harold entered this world in Rochdale, Lancashire, on 10th September 1888. Educated in Rochdale, Harold attended the Rochdale School of Art. There, he found himself tutored by the first head of Rochdale’s art school, Henry Barret Carpenter. He (Carpenter) went on to publish an influential book on colour theory in 1915. Its main purpose was to help students in understanding how colours interact thus helping them to use different hues, tints and tones in an informed way.
Colour comprehension had importance for both pictorial artists (painters) and for designers. This included those in the textile industry – critical in the mill town of Rochdale.
With the help of Barret Carpenter, Harold Dearden succeeded in escaping the poverty of Rochdale via a scholarship to the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. There he undertook five years of intense classes. In the first instance he studied the compulsory topic of architecture followed by all aspects of art. In the period 1910-15 art studies at the RCA included murals, modelling and painting.
Following his 1915 graduation from the RCA, Harold Dearden secured a post as assistant art master teaching at the School of Arts and Crafts in York. This was though a temporary post as the art master he replaced had joined the army.
The school of arts and crafts were based in the York art gallery, close to York Minister. As an assistant master, it’s certain that Harold would have found himself in the thick of things and in what was most likely a very stimulating environment. Sad to say he didn’t get a renewal of his position. This might well have been because, when national conscription came along in 1916, Harold took the stance of conscientious objector.
1916 draws to a close and …
… Harold moved closer to his mother and sister in Rochdale. Here he found an appointment as arts teacher at the Halifax School of Art – part of the technical college.
Under the guidance of the headmaster, Mr J Crowther, the volume of teaching work in the school of art increased. Again, Harold would have found himself in a stimulating environment in the middle of an expanding college. It’s known that building extensions at Halifax School of Arts were called for in 1915 and then again in 1925.
At the age of 29, on the 15th May 1917, Harold Dearden married Annie Coupe (aged 26) a telephone operator in Rochdale. But, less than nineteen months later, tragedy struck. On the 26 Feb 1919 his new wife died, aged twenty-eight, from pneumonia/influenza.
Following the death of his wife Annie, Harold moved south to an art teaching job at Gloucestershire College of Art and Design. While working there he met Ruth Rowell (born 18 July 1892) a 28-year-old Cambridge graduate teaching at Cheltenham Ladies College. They married in July 1920 just before Harold (aged 30) was appointed as Head of the Art School in Swindon.
Harold Dearden in Swindon 1920-1969
So Harold held the role of head of Swindon art school for thirty years. He lived in Swindon and played an instrumental role in establishing the Swindon Artists’ Society, serving as president and vice-president of the society for a number of years.
During his Swindon years, Harold made significant contributions to Swindon’s art scene, serving as an advisor for the town’s growing art collection.
Of his own artistic output, much of his subject matter came from Swindon and its environs. Though he also used London, Cornwall, Dorset, Norfolk, Yorkshire the Lake District and Wales. His works are often valued for the social history contained in the subjects.
A long career
Harold’s dual careers as teacher and professional artist spanned both world wars and beyond. Yet he appears to have been somehow immune to the 20th century currents of artistic fashion and managed to remain true to the figurative tradition of his training.
Ruth and Harold
The couple moved to Swindon and firstly lived at 45 Eastcott Road and then moved to Fairhaven 58 Westlecot Road in 1929.
Harold died in at St Margaret’s Hospital, Stratton, Swindon 6 July 1969 aged 81 – not in 1962 as most internet references record.
Salubritas et Industria
The picture on the bottom right of the image above, a large oil painting, called the Blackberry Pickers is a recent donation to Museum and Art Swindon. This picture was shown In the Swindon Artist’s Society annual exhibition in 1945. Of course, in 1945 the Dig for Victory campaign was well underway. Alongside this campaign people were also encouraged to forage for food.
The top left-hand picture, Salubritas, Harold painted exactly 100 years ago. As you can see it’s badly damaged. Below is a slightly better image of it.
This damaged picture, which is in Swindon’s art collection along with its sister, Industria, has an interesting backstory. It’s one of two pictures commissioned by the Swindon Town Council in 1924. Their purpose to illustrate Swindon’s motto Salubritas et Industria – Good health and Industry.
*Good health and hard work might be a better translation. That’s industry in the sense of ‘hard work’ (per industriousness) rather than heavy machinery. The literal translation is ‘wholesomeness/good health and purpose/diligence’. It means that Swindon is salubrious, a thriving centre of industry.
*I agree with Philip on this and indeed I said words to that very effect in my Secret Swindon book!
The curious tale of the disappearing pictures
Now there was a time when Salubritas et Industria hung in the Council Chamber in the town hall – when that building housed the civic functions. At some stage, it’s not clear when, the paintings were taken down and somehow or other ended up in a skip. Gah!
From there, Terry Court, Swindon’s arts officer rescued them.
At some, unspecified point the works were accepted into the Swindon collection but kept rolled up.
Swindon artist Tim Carroll was present when the Public Catalogue Collection were photographing art around the country – approx fifteen years ago. It used to be possible to see them on the Art UK website – Art UK | Discover Artworks – but they’re no longer there.
There’s a bit of theme in Swindon relating to things going in skips and stuffed in the back of cupboards – the Tom Dixon light sculpture – remember that? And Charlotte Corday in the town hall is another fine example.
Carleton Attwood
Having read about the pictures in the Swindon Advertiser, local Swindon sculptor Carleton Attwood helped solve the riddle of the pictures and explained their purpose and their history.
According to the Swindon Advertiser in Jan 1984:
‘Thamesdown Council now plan to restore the pictures and hope to hang them in the Mechanics’ Institute once it is renovated.’ Ha!! Thirty years on …
Painting 2: Industria
‘In this rather masculine scene, it looks as if the workers are hard at work. Or they’re rolling up their sleeves to get ready for the work required. Of course, the steam engine backdrop of this picture is simply part of Swindon’s important railway heritage.’
Suffice it to stay no restoration of these paintings has not, as yet, taken place. But on that do watch this space!
To view some of Harold’s work go here – note the incorrect death date:
https://artuk.org/discover/artists/dearden-harold-18881962
If you care to watch Philip’s talk you can find it here:
