Fra Newbery

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Francis H Newbery was brought up in Bridport and retired to Corfe Castle in 1919 after a long and illustrious career as one of the most significant directors of Glasgow School of Art. In his day Newbery’s paintings were well regarded and widely published although they are now little known despite being held in public and private collections around the world. As well as a respected painter in his own right he is perhaps best known for his pivitol role in promoting the work of his protégé, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Throughout his life Newbery’s driving force was “to make art more readily available to a wider public, attempting to relate it to their daily lives and to celebrate the traditions of the specific localities in which the works were sited”. The Trail has these same aspirations at its heart. Exhibitions will be the starting point for a number of different activities (such as talks, tours and workshops) that will explore the social, economical and industrial heritage of the communities in which Newbery worked.

As well as opportunities to find out more about your heritage the Trail will also offer you the chance to learn something new.