FANCY PIGEONS BY TUNNICLIFFE
In 1947 Tunnicliffe moved to Anglesey and his first meeting with Thomas Forshaw dates from around this time. Forshaw and Tunnicliffe shared a love of fine ale and ornithology, and Forshaw, who was Chairman and President of the local Burtonwood Brewery Company, commissioned Tunnicliffe to do promotional work for the Brewery which owned a number of pubs in Anglesey.
Forshaw was an avid Pigeon Fancier and at one time is recorded as having as many as 400 birds in his aviary. It was in order to promote the knowledge and collecting of fancy pigeons in England, that Forshaw commissioned Tunnicliffe to record all the pigeons in his collection and as many breeds as he could obtain from elsewhere. Where Tunnicliffe was unable to paint the birds from life, sketches were supplied by H. Pyrzahouski, a pigeon breeder known to Forshaw, for Tunnicliffe to work from. Sadly the publishers of the intended volume pulled out before it was completed and the work was never printed. By this stage Tunnicliffe had filled three large folios with drawings, two of which are in the collection at the Tunnicliffe Museum, Anglesey.
We are grateful to John Smith of the Tunnicliffe Museum, Anglesey and Christine Wright of the National Pigeon Association for their help in preparing the catalogue entries.
Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, R.A. (1901-1979)
Details
Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, R.A. (1901-1979)
Blue and white Fantails
inscribed 'BLUE, AND WHITE FANTAILS./T. Forshaw.' and stamped on the reverse with the studio stamp, 'CHARLES TUNNICLIFFE R.A./STUDIO 1980 NO. 402/20'; watermark pencil and watercolour heightened with white on grey paper 9 x 9¾in. (229 x 248mm.)
Blue and white Fantails
inscribed 'BLUE, AND WHITE FANTAILS./T. Forshaw.' and stamped on the reverse with the studio stamp, 'CHARLES TUNNICLIFFE R.A./STUDIO 1980 NO. 402/20'; watermark pencil and watercolour heightened with white on grey paper 9 x 9¾in. (229 x 248mm.)