SHEILA GRAHAM

A Treasure Trove of Design for Film and Stage

In the latter part of 2013 we made a wonderful discovery, thanks to an approach by Graham McLusky, grandson of Kenneth Graham, one of our Barnsley artists. Graham has given us invaluable support in researching his grandfather’s career and access to his art works. He mentioned that he had a large uncatalogued archive of his mother Sheila’s work.

Accomplished Artist

Sheila was Kenneth Graham’s only child and was herself an accomplished artist. She was a designer of theatre and film costumes and the archive contains many of these original designs, for example for the film Captain Horatio Hornblower with Gregory Peck, and her work for the Old Vic and the Regents Park Open Air Theatre.

Passion

Her abiding passion was for ballet and there are also exquisite sketches of famous dancers such as Margot Fonteyn, Robert Helpmann and Moira Shearer made during rehearsals of the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company in the 1940s.

A team from our volunteers is cataloguing the archive and highlights from the works will be a stunning addition to our exhibition at the Cooper Gallery Barnsley from 7th June to 30th August.