Art, Books & Culture Research Group at The Beecroft, Saturday 31st January 2026 – Into the 1950s: (1) from Existential Angst to the Everyday World

I hope you will be able to join us on

Saturday 31st January, 11.15am (for about an hour & a half)

at The Beecroft Art Gallery, Southend-on-Sea.

With a focus predominantly on the Art of Ruskin Spear (1911-1990), today we’ll enter the ‘long decade’ of 1950s Britain, from the end of World War II to Pop Art – a period of radical cultural transition for art and society. There’ll be plenty to see & discuss as always!

Ruskin Spear: Daydreaming, Portrait of the Artist’s Wife
[1930s; Southend Museums Service; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/daydreaming-portrait-of-the-artists-wife-2716%5D

Tickets are £10 (cash) on the door and include coffee & a biscuit at The Jazz Centre afterwards.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Art & Coffee at The Beaumont, Friday 16th January 2026: The Art of Ruskin Spear

Greetings!

I hope you will be able to join us

on Friday 16th January, 11.30am (for about an hour)

at The Beaumont, Barchester Care, 15 Cannon Hill, Old Southgate, N14 7DJ

to explore the life, times & art of Ruskin Spear (1911-1990) with particular reference to his focus on the everyday world of mid-20th century Hammersmith.

Ruskin Spear: Snow Scene, Hammersmith
[1946; Tate; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/snow-scene-201949%5D

Let’s hope the weather doesn’t look like this!!!

There’ll be lots to look at and discuss – I hope you’ll be able to come along!

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The discussions are for everyone, whether residents or local community. Please note a £3 on-the-door request to cover the cost of coffee and biscuits. With all thanks to Barchester Health Care.

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Note:

There’s a fabulous short film / HENI Talk with Dr Tanya Harrod (author of “Humankind: Ruskin Spear
Class, culture and art in 20th-century Britain” published by Thames & Hudson, 2022) on the ArtUK site here.