Hugh Wallis
(1871 - 1944)
 

Hugh Wallis was born in Kettering and in the 1890's he trained as an artist at the Herkomer School of Art at Bushey in Hertfordshire. He is recorded as a flower and figure painter and was competent enough to have exhibited widely, including:

Glasgow Institute of Fine Art - 1 picture
Walker Gallery, Liverpool - 2
Manchester City Art Gallery - 2
Royal Society of Portrait Painters - 2
Royal Academy  - 12

This is an example of paper cut or block print by Hugh. These are rarely seen are usually in a style similar to John Hall Thorpe.

He went into business initially as a painter having a studio at 7 Market Street, Altrincham in 1900.finally settling at 72 The Downs where he had his metal workshop. He was still describing himself as an artist in 1918.

It is not known where he trained as a metalworker. There has been some reports of Keswick like work with Wallis' marks, but this is only heresay. He employed 5 or 6 craftsmen working in his studio behind the Downs. He produced a wide variety of objects including vases, bowls, fire screens, coal bucket and wall light. He is known to have produced the lighting for the Altrincham Council chambers as well as trophies and presentation gift.

His works has appeared in copper, brass, stainless steel, pewter and silver plate. He is also known to have been working in silver c1915.

He was a leading figure in the Northern Art Workers Guild and was a founder member of the Red Rose Guild of Artworkers, which was established in Manchester in 1920.

Hugh's younger son Brian (1915 - 1981) joined the family business in 1930 and continued to work in the same style and using the same mark as his father after Hugh's death in 1944.Hugh Wallis is as much a brand as any other family business.

I have seen two marks used on his work and they are shown below. These do not help much in dating their product as I have had an examples of the left mark dated 1939 and dated examples of the right mark dating from both the 1930's and 1950's.

For a copy of the book on this artist please contact Bushey Museum
www.busheymuseum.org/shopenter.php