Timed to coincide with the Penlee House exhibition Lamorna Birch – A Painter Laureate, this talk celebrates the life and work of Samuel John “Lamorna” Birch RA (1869–1955). A self-taught painter of pure landscape and founder of the Lamorna colony in West Cornwall, Birch drew lifelong inspiration from the valley that gave him his name.
The exhibition title references Austin Wormleighton’s landmark 1995 biography, A Painter Laureate. Austin, a founding member and long-serving President of the Lamorna Society, updated the book before his passing in 2019, with the new edition published posthumously by his partner, Jo Sunter.
On display are over 25 works from Austin’s personal collection. To accompany this special exhibition, Cornish art historian David Tovey will give a lecture, S.J. Lamorna Birch – Career Highlights, exploring Birch’s achievements and legacy.
Date & Time: Monday 20th October, 2.30pm
Venue: The Queen’s Hotel, Penzance
Tickets: £7 Friends, £15 Non-Friends
