h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My family has several landscape paintings signed "W.R.Newman" and dated in the 1950s. Apparently he is a distant relative who made a living painting quite nice countryside landscapes. Meandering streams, old cottages, etc.- I admired them when I was a child and still enjoy seeing them hanging in the family home.

http://public.fotki.com/clzoomer/pics/painting.html

No one seems to know if he is still alive or if his paintings have any value other than how we all feel about them. I've googled and done some searching on line but I can't find anything.

Any ideas Hootooers?

I should mention that he lived in the South of England.

I guess if you had a bit more data you might be able to find something on the genealogy sites. I looked for William Richard Newman, assuming that's what the initials stand for.

Interesting, the only google hit I got was this one.


http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/museums/index.asp?page=results&mwsquery=%28{Phrase%20search}=*{pam}%29&mwsquery=%28{Place2}=*{Devizes}%29&filename=WiltshireTreasures&hitsStart=1

Wiltshire Heritage Museum - Documents
DZSWS:MSS.2532
Leaflet / photograph / postcard / catalogue
collection of material relating to W R Newman, the artist and wood sculptor, and especially the carved panels in the Ruth Pierce restaurant in Devizes Market Place, including a pamphlet and photographs on the carved panels and catalogues of W R Newman's exhibitions
No image available

You could use the Google image search facility,just drag a jpeg of an image into the search box and the engine will find the image and the name of the artist for you..

I tried that with the image zoomer linked to, but no results (I tried Tineye, not google).

There was a BBC art project a few years ago cos one of my grandad's paintings is in it. Erm, hang on a mo ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/

Mol

I added another photo of another painting and tried both methods, no go. Does anyone recognise the cathedral and/or the river?

http://public.fotki.com/clzoomer/pics/dscn0814.html

That is Salisbury cathedral zoomer, in Wiltshire; one of the loveliest.

http://bit.ly/Q6th48

Noodles!

Effers got here before me


I also found this:


Page13 - Auction catalogues, auction catalogs from www.pacts.co.uk


www.henry-aldridge.co.uk/Catalogues/CS160110/page13.html


16 Jan 2010 – W.R. Newman: 20th cent. Wiltshire watercolours 'Country Landscape' signed, framed and glazed 14" x 10.1/2". 'River Study' signed ... A • bullet indicates that the lot is subject to the Artist's Resale Right Scheme. Thumbnail ...


lil x

Wow! Thank you both Effers and lil. Those are both great starting points for me.

I cam across your message in a search for information about the artist, W.R. Newman. My wife lived in Devizes, Wiltshire, for some years and she has inherited 2 of Newman's paintings form her parents, who knew him slightly. He also carved a number of wooden panels which were on a wall in a café in Devizes. We intend to have the paintings valued and I will get back again when we have done that.

I look forward to it, thanks!

WR Newman was active in Devizes up to the early 1970s. I cannot tell you when he died but we used to go on special trips to his birthplace etc in the 60s and early 70s. He was also a friend of my mother and painted some watercolours specially for her (which I still have) In his later years he lived at an address on the Nursteed Road in Devizes.
I may be able to help with any specific questions regarding this artist but I will need the memory nudged in to gear!
Hope this is of some use