Cobby, H, Swatton, A and Watkin, J (2016) Concealment and Deception: the Art of the Camoufleurs of Leamington Spa 1939-1945 [curators]. Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Leamington Spa, UK, 22 July - 16 October 2016.
| Item Type: | Exhibition |
|---|---|
| Creators: | Cobby, H, Swatton, A and Watkin, J |
| Abstract: | A group of artists and designers in the midlands town of Royal Leamington Spa made a secret contribution to the Allied victory in World War 2. A team of over 230 ‘camoufleurs’, including some of the leading artists and designers of the era, was assembled to help protect civil installations such as factories, power stations and airfields, and high value naval assets like battleships, cruisers and aircraft carriers. Using their artistic skills and experience, they created camouflage schemes which either concealed the target by causing it to merge into its surroundings, or deceived the eye as to its size and location. In their leisure time, the artists produced paintings recording their colleagues at work, or showing the sites and ships they had camouflaged. They also produced paintings showing the wartime town and its community, and created morale-raising murals for public buildings including the local British Restaurant. The story of their work in Leamington, and its consequences for the cultural sector in post-war Britain, was told in an exhibition shown at Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum over summer 2016. |
| Date: | 22 July 2016 |
| Event Location: | Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Leamington Spa, UK |
| Note: | This exhibition was funded by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, and the Art Fund (a Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Grant). Artists featured include Mary Adshead, Dorothy Annan, Stephen Bone, Louis Duffy, Evelyn Dunbar, Eric Hall, Christopher Ironside, Cedric Kennedy, Edwin La Dell, Colin Moss, Robin Darwin and James Yunge-Bateman. |
| Divisions: | Professional Services |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Nov 2026 19:57 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Nov 2026 20:08 |
 |
Request a change to this item or report an issue |
 |
Update item (repository staff only) |
Tools
Tools
