Streets of the City

[Scipio]

It's much appreciated .

Eusabius

Eusabius welcome , I tend to agree with Phil about the identity of this artist, the artist I remember always wore a macintosh (mac) as we used to call them plus a cap, I never seen him any different he always adopted a seated position, sitting with his knees folded underneath him  . He had a Jack Russell type dog , the pictures were drawn on the flagstones in front of him , so you had to watch where you stepped, easier said than done. At the age of about 5 or 6 thereabouts , I inadvertently walked on one of the drawings and accidently stepped on his chalks , he went absolutely ballistic , it ended up a war of words between him and my mother . If memory serves I think the dog was named Judy.

[RoyMcC]

Hi, I'm new here and I'm not sure how things go, but I would like to ask the moderator Phil and member vauxonion about some posts they made on this thread on Aug 24 2011, regarding the street artist who worked in Eden Place in the 1950s and '60s. This man was my paternal Grandfather. I'm 54 now, and due mainly to the fact that my Mother took against him early on (his name was not to be mentioned in the house when I was growing up), I never met him (I was born around the time he died, I believe) and have never seen a photo of him. My parents have recently died, and I am now trying to find some information about Grandad.

I only found out that he had worked as a street artist after I started doing the very same thing in my '20s! (I did a degree in Fine Art at university and am an artist). Reincarnation, perhaps . Strangely enough, the building where I did my art degree is the red Victorian building in Margaret Street at the other end of Eden Place, which is where I'm told Grandad sometimes sat. I could see his spot from my studio window! I also have vague memories of there having been  a feature on him in the Birmingham Evening Mail (The Post, possibly?) sometime in the 1970s. Apparently it was a page featuring letters from people who remembered seeing him in the ‘50s & '60s and also featured an image - either a painting or a photo of him sitting in Eden Place with some of his paintings around him.
If either of you could tell me anything else about him, or know of any one else who might know something, I would be very grateful. He has been shrouded in mystery, and I would like very much to bring him out of the shadows. Thanks.

What was his name Eusabius? (Not sure that it's in this thread.) I can do a search for that newspaper feature at least.

[eusabius]

Hi Scipio and RoyMcC. Thanks for your replies. I will make a proper reply tomorrow. My Grandad's name was James (or Jim) McKenna. My Father, his only son, was also Jim.

[eusabius]

What was his name Eusabius? (Not sure that it's in this thread.) I can do a search for that newspaper feature at least.

I now have a bit more info for a newspaper search, RoyMcC. In addition to the article about him that I mentioned, one of my sisters has told me that his death was also reported in the paper. She said she clearly remembers seeing it on the front page (!). Apparently, he discharged himself from hospital over fears for his dog and was run over. My sister seems to think it may have been a motorbike. This would have been 1964 - 65. I believe he lived in Erdington in a house facing the Abbey.

[Steve]

 I see an item re Phyllis Nicklin on this morning's news. Red button video 'Then & Now' showed a few of her shots, which are now being exhibited.


  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-44873510

[Phil]

Steve


I don't know if I have posted this link before, but there are hundreds of Phyllis's photos here, I'm not quite sure if the new ones that were found a couple of years back are on there as well.


http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/view/people/Nicklin=3APhyllis=3A=3A.html

[Steve]

You did i think Phil, I spent ages looking thru them. 

[JudithM]

I see an item re Phyllis Nicklin on this morning's news. Red button video 'Then & Now' showed a few of her shots, which are now being exhibited.


  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-44873510

I saw the article.  Her pictures are amazing, and it's so great that they are in that free archive that anyone can access.  I've spent hours in the past looking through them, but those then & now ones are particularly moving.  It's sad to see how some places look today compared to how they were not so very long ago.