antiques: Forgotten artists of Liverpool.

Byline: Christopher Proudlove

LIVERPOOL Tower, 1650. No, not a Merseyside tsunami or an early sign of global warming. In fact, this watercolour, actually painted in the mid-19th century, shows a particularly violent westerly gale, presumably a real event which the artist John McGahey recorded from documentary evidence gathered at the time.

The watercolour is one of 17 by McGahey held in the collection of the Liverpool Record Office, and I am grateful for their permission to reproduce it here. I do so in the hope that readers can help in the latest quest for information on another of Merseyside's (and Chester's) forgotten artists.

This time, the appeal for help comes from a reader who lives in Sydney's southern suburbs near Cronulla Beach, in Australia, where a descendant of McGahey is striving to compile a history of the artist's life and work.

In an email, McGahey's great-great-great-grandson David Overett writes: "John McGahey was born c 1816 to parents James and Elisabeth. His earliest artworks appear around 1830s and are a mixture of lithographs and original watercolours. Other works occurring earlier are possibly by his father or else incorrect dates have been given.

"McGahey married Jane Ormandy in 1836 at St Stephen's, Liverpool. Jane was the daughter of John Ormandy a stationer and bookseller, who is possibly the same man who ran a lending library at this time. The McGaheys changed addresses on several occasions in the city, then, after spending a while in Tranmere, moved to Chester in 1851. In October of that same year, his third child was born.

"While in Chester, he produced a guide to that city and painted an 'aerial' view of Chester in 1855. Returning to Liverpool in 1861, he continued his art and was displayed at the Liverpool Society of Fine Arts. Should any readers have information on John McGahey, either his art or his life, I would love to hear from them."

My Australian correspondent was alerted tomy quest to identify forgotten Liverpool artists by my column on the Herdman family and it appears that the two families are linked.

No artist did more to document Liverpool than William Gawin Herdman (1805-1882). As a boy of 13, he started making notes about how the city and its buildings were changing around him and later, entirely self-taught, he produced dozens of unrivalled watercolour views of the city and surrounding districts at a time of unprecedented economic growth. Indeed one of them was a view of Liverpool Tower.

Herdman had 11 sons and five daughters of which William, William Patrick, John Innes and Stanley became artists in their own right.

My Australian reader continues: "John McGahey was also a lithographer and engraved the younger William Herdman's painting, titled Old Shaw's Brow 1860. The inscription under the McGahey litho states '. . . from a drawing by W. Herdman Junr. Liverpool June 1860'."

Appetite whetted, the links and connections were enough to make me want to learn more.

I put the question to renowned Merseyside marine art expert Sam Davidson, a retired surgeon whose books on Liverpool painters, notably Samuel Walters, remain the definitive works.

Of course, Mr Davidson knew of McGahey and, indeed, his book Marine Art& Liverpool, Painters, Places&Flag Codes 1760-1960, gives the artist his own mention.

McGahey was not primarily a marine artist, but the few known works bearing his signature suggest an interest in historical and topographical subjects with a maritime flavour.

Merseyside Maritime Museum has two watercolours dated 1809 showing the site of the Princes Dock prior to its construction, when it was largely foreshore with the Old Battery towards its northern end.

Interestingly, the artist's name, minus the initial, appears on a lithograph titled "Liverpool in 1846", which Mr Davidson describes as of unusual maritime interest. From a viewpoint on the high ground above Tranmere, across the River Mersey towards Liverpool, the artist captures the southwest-facing aspect of the Liverpool waterfront in the distance of a somewhat unusual panorama of Birkenhead in the foreground, including the ferries at Tranmere, Monks Ferry and Woodside.

Gore's Directory of 1843 lists John McGahey as a lithographic artist and printer, living at 26 Craven Street with a shop at 23 Lord Street. There is also an entry under the list of artists in the 1875 directory.

The Central Record Library, Liverpool, lists two other topographical mid-19th-century Liverpool scenes; a portrait of Liverpool worthy, and two imaginative topographical scenes in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Mr Davidson concludes: "In view of the latter, it is probable that Princes Dock site watercolours are conjectural paintings executed much later than 1809, but based on accounts of the time, including sketches and other material no longer available. Even so, there may be two artists of this name, possibly father and son. The discovery of further material may help clarify the matter."

This concurs with the opinion expressed by David Overett. Anyone who is able to shed more light on John McGahey - father, son or both - is invited to contact me by post at the Daily Post or at DailyPost@chrisproudlove.co.uk

No artist did more to document Liverpool than WG Herdman

CAPTION(S):

Liverpool Tower during the Civil War. This old, original hand-coloured lithographic print by WG Herdman is priced pounds 12 at antique maps and prints dealers Richard Nicholson of Chester. Telephone 01244 336004 or www.oldprints.co.uk; Liverpool Tower 1650, above, a watercolour by Liverpool artist John McGahey and Tower Buildings on the site today, left. Richt is st Nicholas' Church, as seen in the pictures background Ilustration courtesy of Liverpool Record Office

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Title Annotation:	Features
Publication:	Daily Post (Liverpool, England)
Date:	May 12, 2007
Words:	926
Previous Article:	country: WHIMBRELS.
Next Article:	antiques: History for all.
Topics:	Artists