Victor Noble Rainbird Exhibition “From Dark to Light”
The Old Low Light Heritage Centre, North Shields
Friday 10th July to Sunday 6th September 2015 (most days).
The Old Low Light Heritage Centre, on the North Shields Fish Quay is hosting an exhibition of Rainbird paintings thanks to “The Friends of Victor Noble Rainbird”, David Young and David Hirst who are displaying their private collection of paintings, together with a number that they have borrowed.
Never before have so many of this local artists paintings been on display in one exhibition in his home town of North Shields.
Rainbird was born in North Shields in 1887, educated at Christ Church and lived at 71 West Percy Street North Shields (where there is now a blue plaque to commemorate his life).
He was a landscape, street scene, coastal and figure painter in oil and watercolour, but also a muralist, illustrator and stained glass window designer.
In 1914, aged 26 Rainbird joined the Northumberland Fusiliers as a private soldier, serving on the western front at Ypres, Passchendaele and Armentieres.
Later on he went to the Northumberland Fusiliers, 34th Division, and in connection with field observation prepared drawings for headquarters in the front line on the Somme Front.
He ended his war as a corporal with the Durham Light Infantry.
Like many others, Rainbird was badly affected by his experiences during the war, at one point he was the victim of an enemy gas attack and most likely suffered from what is now termed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or shell shock as it was then known.
Once demobbed he returned to North Shields to set up as a professional artist and exhibited works at the Artists of the Northern Counties exhibitions at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and also at the Royal Academy.
He made several trips to France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and a large proportion of his work is of continental subjects. Common works are of the sea, seafront and streets in and around North Shields, Dutch fisher folk, and impressions of Rouen and Amiens.
He sold many of his paintings to pay his way through life, producing these in large numbers using inferior materials and selling them much of the time to pub landlords for a drink or two.
Sometimes he would set out several boards on a table (scrap from the local sheet music shop) and quickly paint in sky, foreground and then details before finally adding in a title and his signature, and all this in super quick time.
He moved to Sunderland to live with friends around 1934/35 and died there on the 8th March 1936 at the early age of 47 following a brief illness. During this short period he produced some very fine works including two watercolours of Durham City which ironically would go towards part payment for his frugal burial.
He was laid to rest in a paupers’ grave in Preston Cemetery, North Shields.
A memorial fund has been set up to raise money for a permanent marker at the final resting place of this fine artist.
£5,000 is needed for the sculpture itself and the siting of it in Preston Cemetery – £800 has already been raised and a local stone masonry company, Classic Masonry Ltd have kindly agreed to donate the stone for the sculpture.
Donations can be made by cheque payable to the “Friends of Victor Noble Rainbird” and sent to Dave Young, 59 Gardner Park, North Shields, NE29 0EA or why not pop along to speak to Dave at the exhibition.
For further details please contact Dave Young on 0191 258 6635 or email himdavey.young@mail.com
The exhibition opens at The Old Low Light Heritage Centre, North Shields on Friday 10 Julyand runs most days until Sunday 6 September 2015.
Please telephone the Old Low Light Heritage Centre www.oldlowlight.co.uk