The Liverpool Red Cross autumn exhibition of modern art: the forty-fifth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1915

Start Date: 11 October 1915
End Date: 8 January 1916

Type: Annual exhibition

Description: 'The forty-fifth Autumn Exhibition of Modern Art under the auspices of the Corporation of Liverpool, and the thirty-ninth in the Walker Art Gallery, is held under unprecedented conditions, which endow it with a special interest. The Art and Exhibitions Sub-Committee decided that it should not be held, on account of the existing war conditions; but this measure of economy was, fortunately, rendered unnecessary by the generous offer of a prominent citizen (who deplored so serious a blow to the artistic profession) to bear the whole cost of the Exhibition, on the understanding that all money paid for season tickets or single admissions should be given to the Liverpool Branch of the Red Cross Society; and the commission on sales should be used in purchases for the Permanent Collection.'

The season tickets were 3s. 6d. or 4s. for a special souvenir ticket issued by the Red Cross Society. Ordinary tickets were 6d. and 1s. on Thursdays.

The 'Continental' room (gallery 2) was devoted to modern work by Belgian artists and in room 5 there was a display of Belgian and French medals lent by Marion Spielmann.

Policy: 'Works of Art intended for Exhibition must be delivered unpacked at the Gallery, or to one of its Agents [...]

The following Agents will undertake to receive and deliver Works: -

Messrs Dicksee & Co., 7 Duke Street, St. James's, London SW
Messrs R. Jackson & Sons, 3 Slater Street, Liverpool
Mr John H. Paris, 15 & 17 Leece Street, Liverpool
Messrs Aitken Dott & Son, 26 South Castle Street, Edinburgh
Messrs James McLure & Sons, 105 Wellington Street, Glasgow
M. Pottier, 14 Rue Gaillon, Paris

The Agents charges not specially invited for Exhibition are payable by the Artist.

[...] Messrs Dicksee & Co are prepared, if desired, to effect insurances against all risks, at a scale of fixed charges...

Particulars of each Work sent for Exhibition must be sent to the Curator, on the attached form. The title and price (if for sale) will be taken from this for publication in the catalogue, and quotations or descriptions will be subject to approval and compression, and should be sent in duplicate. The number of works submitted should not exceed four [...] The restriction as to number does not apply strictly to Works of Sculpture, examples of Decorative Art, Pictures in Black and White, Enamels or Miniatures. At the back of each Picture should be written in full the name and address of the Artist, the title and price of the Picture [...] Works of Sculpture and examples of Decorative Art must be similarly labelled and marked, in order to ensure identification. The strict attention of Artists to these regulations is earnestly requested, so as to ensure accuracy in the Catalogue.

[...] Works for sale must be, bona fide, the property of the Artist. A Commission of 5 per cent. upon the Catalogue price will be charged upon all works sold whilst in the possession of the Committee, whether the sale effected by the Artist or the Curator, with the exception that on works sold by means of the Art Union a commission of 10 per cent. on the catalogue price will be charged. The quotation of a sale price by the Artist is to be regarded as giving full authority to the Curator to sell a work without further sanction from the Artist or his legal representatives.

A sale at the catalogue price takes precedence of any offer the acceptance of which has not reached the Curator.

Unless there be a special arrangement at the time of purchase the copyright remains the property of the Artist.

Artists whose Works remain unsold at the close of the Exhibition are requested to forward to the Curator instructions for the disposal of them, as none will be delivered without the direct written authority of the Artist.

No Work that has previously been exhibited in a public Gallery in Liverpool is admissible' (Instructions taken from 'The Liverpool Red Cross autumn exhibition of modern art: the forty-fifth', 1915, pp. 5-6).

Citing this record

'The Liverpool Red Cross autumn exhibition of modern art: the forty-fifth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1915', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/event.php?id=ann_1278348399, accessed 05 Dec 2019]