Birmingham Art Circle

Founded in 1879 by Ernest Thompson who appears not to have been an artist. With ten artists Thompson drew up a charter and was elected the Circle’s first President. The original members of the 'Circle' were Oliver Baker, William Breakspeare, Sidney Currie, William Banks Fortescue, John Fullwood, Edward Steel Harper, Edwin Harris, John Keeley, Walter Langley, W Stuart Lloyd, Frederick Mercer, brothers Charles and Walter Jenks Morgan, Henry Martin Pope, William Frederick Roden, Harry S Thompson, William John Wainwright and Charles Henry Whitworth. The first elected secretary Walter Langley a member of the local Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and alongside five other young artists staged the first exhibition in a member's studio. The ‘5’ were William Banks Fortescue, Edwin Harris, Henry Martin Pope, William Arthur Breakspeare and William John Wainwright. Since then exhibitions have been held in Birmingham almost every year since the Circles’ inception at locations such as the Graves Gallery in Cherry Street and since 1907 at the RBSA Gallery in New Street. This continued until 1999 when the RBSA moved to its present situation in Brook Street, Hockley.

Other distinguished members from the past are Kate Bunce, Joseph Southall and Bernard Fleetwood-Walker. Several former presidents of the Art Circle became presidents of the RBSA. These were Harry Adams, Peter Gross, Marylane Barfield, Edward Samuel Harper and Ernest Horton. However, the longevity record for service to the Art Circle must go to Ernest Chadwick who acted as Honorary Secretary for 27 years. From 1914 until the mid-1930 the Art Circle shared its exhibition with the Easel Club.

Image(s) below (click to enlarge):