Paintings by London’s firefighters will be popping up around the City of London over the next few months, as part of the events to mark the 300th anniversary of the death of Sir Christopher Wren.
Haines Red Sunday 29 December 1940
Although the rebuilding of London following the Great Fire of London is closely associated with Sir Chris, the WWII blitz, often called the Second Great Fire, also destroyed much of what Wren had built.
The exhibition, which will be in a number of City churches, incorporates several key themes including introducing the Auxiliary Fire Service and the Firemen Artists, the Blitz and the destruction of Wren’s churches, and the 1940s exhibition that took place in America, which was part of Britain’s efforts to encourage the United States government to join the War in support of the Allies.
The exhibition will feature reproductions of paintings by firefighter artists, along with contemporary photographs from the London Fire Brigade archive.
The exhibition, Fire in the City will open from 15th September to the end of October and can be seen in the following churches:
- St Mary Le Bow: Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm. Open weekends on an informal basis.
- St Mary Aldermary: Tuesday to Friday, 7.30am to 4pm
- St James Garlickhythe: Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 4.30pm, Thursday, 11am to 3pm, Sunday: 9am to 1pm.
- St Magnus the Martyr: Tuesday to Friday, 10.00am to 4pm
- St Stephen Walbrook: Monday to Friday, 10.30am to 3.30pm
(Venue details may be subject to change so it is advised to check individual church websites for the latest information)
Leave a Reply