Successful fundraising secures watercolour
Kingston Museum has succesfully raised the £2,250 needed to purchase a fine watercolour of Fricker's Eagle Brewery, painted by Charles A Brindley in 1910.
Eagle Brewery was established by Thomas Fricker in the early 19th century and later passed to his son, Arthur, who died early. In 1903 it was sold together with 38 tied houses to its rival, Hodgson's. Some of Fricker's former pubs remain in Kingston today including the Ram and the Albion.
The artist, Charles A Brindley, was working around 1888 to 1916 and had studios in Victoria Road and Brighton Road, Surbiton. he exhibited a number of paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts in the 1880s and 1890s, mainly family portraits.
The importance of the picture to the Museum is twofold. First its quality and secondly the rarity of surviving images of the Brewery, which stood next to the River Thames. Over 50 generous local people made a donation. Mr L. Wadbrook from the United States was particularly delighted to contribute as his relatives were Frickers.
July 2002