Holmes Winter Exhibition – St Albans Cathedral

A new exhibition in St Albans Cathedral features 19th-century artwork that raises awareness of our fragile heritage.

Holmes Winter – The Last of Old St Albans

The 19th-century artist Holmes Winter came to St Albans around 1880 to draw, paint and teach. He sketched many of the old buildings which he hoped would alert everyone to the risks they faced, and from the drawings, produced a limited edition of 100 etchings called ‘The Last of Old St Albans’.

The selection in the exhibition which runs throughout August comes from the collection of Malcolm Holliday a member of St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society (the Arc and Arc) and there is an accompanying walking trail around St Albans so visitors can see the location of Malcolm’s “Top Ten” images too.

The exhibition hopes to raise awareness of heritage as Dr John Morewood, president of the Arc and Arc, explained:

“Holmes Winter realised what we could lose, and it is a sad reflection that there are places where our heritage is again at risk.

Last year the Arc and Arc set up its own ‘Heritage at Risk’ list.

The exhibition runs until August 30 in the North Transept of  St Albans Cathedral.