Looming mills and smoking factories - How Salford first captured the eye of the treasured LS Lowry
How a missed train at Pendlebury Station started LS Lowry’s career as a legendary northern illustrator.
Newsletter author: Katherine Stephenson
In this week’s newsletter, we’ll take a look at the renowned northern artist LS Lowry and his links to Salford. Plus, keep scrolling for a run-down on sport and what's on in the city this week.
We love to hear your comments so tell us what you liked and what you'd like more of in the comments at the bottom. If you enjoyed it, please forward this newsletter to someone who might enjoy it.
How Salford first captured the eye of the brilliant LS Lowry
“I was interested in portrait painting until I went to live in Pendlebury,” said LS Lowry, a treasured British artist who saw art where others didn’t.
Laurence Stephen Lowry created hundreds of masterpieces that perfectly illustrated Salford and Manchester’s industrial scene in the 20th century. His profound impact on the city of Salford’s culture still lives on to this day, with a permanent art gallery dedicated to his work attracting thousands of visitors to the docks at Salford Quays every year.
But where did this brilliance all start?
Laurence Stephen Lowry was born into a fairly middle class family from Stretford on November 1 1887. His mother Elizabeth was a talented pianist and his father Robert worked in an estate agent’s office.
As a child, Lowry enjoyed drawing and was notably tutored by the skilled impressionist Valette. Lowry always held great admiration for Valette and said he “cannot overestimate the effect” the refined artist had on him.
Due to the family’s financial difficulties in 1909 they moved to Pendlebury, a heavily industrial area in Salford at the time. It was here in the unlikely working class suburb of the city where Lowry began to develop his distinctive, seemingly naive style. Although Lowry originally focused on portraits, something about Salford’s emerging mills, smoking factories and mass crowds of workers seemed to inspire the unique creative after World War One.
“I was interested in portrait painting until I went to live in Pendlebury,” he said. “The industrial scene got me. I disliked [painting industrial scenes] at first, then I got used to it.
“I began to think there is something in it… then I began to think there was a lot in it.”
Lowry first got into painting industrial scenes by chance when he missed a train at Pendlebury Station. He looked over to see the Acme Spinning Company’s mill turning out and later said: “I watched this scene – which I'd looked at many times without seeing – with rapture.”
He then went on to illustrate the Salford scenes around him through pencil sketches or through paintings in his five signature colours: vermilion, ivory black, Prussian blue, yellow ochre and flake white. His artworks regularly featured his iconic “matchstick men” which are miniscule, stick-thin men, women and children often dressed in their long winter clothes and round hats.
Peel Park and the views across it from the Technical College windows regularly featured in Lowry’s artwork. He also illustrated the now long-gone street Francis Terrace and North James Henry Street in a push to capture the Victorian terraced houses before they were flattened.
Similar to modern day, Salford’s landscape in the 20th century was ever-changing, with constant demolition projects making way for new shinier developments. The artist pointed out in an interview conducted in the ‘70s (during his later years) that he seized a niche opportunity to capture northern working life.
“I began to wonder if anybody had ever recorded or done it,” he said.
“I found they hadn’t, so I said ‘I’ll try and do if I can and once I’ve done it, I’ll get out and join some friends in business’. But I didn’t join my friends in business. Times had changed and I got rather not fond of work.”
While he was avoiding his “friends in business” he painted the iconic ‘Coming from the Mill’, ‘Going to the Match’ and ‘The Cripples’ which were all inspired by working class life in Manchester and Salford.
Most of the artist’s illustrations were completed in the 1920s when Lowry didn’t focus on selling his work. He instead kept his job as a rent collector for the Pall Mall Property Company. Lowry remained there until he retired in 1952.
Although his paintings now sell for hundreds of millions, Lowry eventually sold his first picture called ‘The Lodging House’ for just £5 back then, according to this website.
After decades of painting and exhibiting around Salford and Manchester, Lowry finally received his first one-man exhibition in 1939 which catapulted him into national fame.
His unique illustrations were extremely popular in 20th century Britain and he was even offered a knighthood at the time, but he turned it down. According to the Christie’s, he reportedly told the Prime Minister Harold Wilson: “All my life I have felt most strongly against social distinction of any kind.” LS Lowry turned down five honours between 1955 and 1976. This included an OBE in the 1955 Birthday Honours List and a CBE in the 1961 New Year's List.
Lowry sadly died of pneumonia aged 88 in 1976 at Woods Hospital in Glossop following a stroke at home. He died just seven months before a retrospective exhibition opened at the Royal Academy in London. By the time the exhibition closed, it had achieved one of the highest record numbers of visitors for an exhibition by a British artist.
Lowry’s artistic legacy certainly lives on in Salford to this day with The Lowry Theatre at Salford Quays. The Lowry Theatre features an entire gallery dedicated to his artworks which continue to inspire new generations of creative people in Salford and beyond.
News and Sport in Salford this week
Council’s plans to take over Salford Community Stadium move closer
The council’s plans to take over the Salford Community Stadium will be pushed forward this September. Read more here.
New ‘vital’ supported living scheme launches in Little Hulton
Eight Salfordians with learning disabilities are to receive ‘vital’ care in Little Hulton’s new supported living scheme. Read more here.
‘Heartfelt’ suicide remembrance event comes to Salford
There will be a ‘powerful’ remembrance event in Salford this September to honour those who have sadly lost their lives to suicide. Read more here.
Salford boss Paul Rowley not getting carried away with Huddersfield rout
Salford coach Paul Rowley refused to get carried away after his side romped to a 60-10 rout of miserable Huddersfield to bolster their Betfred Super League play-off hopes. Read more here.
‘What’s On’ in Salford this week
🚲 - Residents looking for a family day out can attend the new ‘Pedal Powered Family Fun Day’ at Peel Park this Sunday September 1. Find out more here.
🕺🏻 - A ‘sensory-friendly’ club night for the neurodivergent community in Salford is coming to The Lowry this Saturday August 31. Find out more here.
🖼️ - Salfordians can also see a new free exhibition which celebrates the often “overlooked parts of Salford” at Salford Museum & Art Gallery this Saturday August 31. Find out more here.
Our photo of the week
This picture is a self portrait of a young LS Lowry. Image credit: Mick Mulviel, Flickr
Expect brighter weather in Salford this week
🌤️ - Residents can expect brighter weather this week, with mostly sunny weather on Saturday August 31.
🌦️ - However, the brighter weather this week could be accompanied by the odd shower and a gentle breeze.
Thank you for reading
All our journalism is written by people working, studying and living in Salford – for the people of Salford. We'll be adding more exclusive writing to future editions. If you value local journalism sign up: it’s free, easy and we’ll never share your data.