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Tate Britain

NASH, Paul - Writings, artwork, correspondence, photographs and ephemera


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0070 TGA 769

Held at: Tate Britain

Title: NASH, Paul - Writings, artwork, correspondence, photographs and ephemera

Date(s): 1907-1960

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 2 boxes and 1 solander box

Name of creator(s): Nash/ Paul / 1889-1946 / painter

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Paul Nash was born in London on 11 May 1889, son of William Harry Nash, late Recorder of Abingdon. He was educated at St. Paul's School, and originally was going to join the Navy. His earliest artistic training was at the Chelsea Polytechnic and the L.C.C. school, he then went to the Slade School of Art. In 1914, shortly after marrying Margaret Theodosia Odeh, he enlisted in The Artists Rifles, where he received a commission in the Hampshire Regiment. Though he had exhibited drawings in 1911, Nash first came into prominence in June 1917, when during convalescence from a broken rib received in the trenches he showed at the Goupil Gallery a collection of landscape drawings made in the Ypres Salient. They made a huge impact, and when Nash returned to France it was as an official war artist.After that Nash developed rapidly with changes of style and medium, but always retaining the same general attitude to nature from simplified forms, through geometrical shapes to surrealist images. Nash also acted as a designer for industry using a wide range of crafts and materials - textiles, wood, glass, china, book production, posters and stage design and costumes. His ideas on modernity in design were put into practice with the foundation in 1933 of 'Unit One'; a group of painters, sculptors, and architects pledged to the expression of the contemporary spirit in their work. For a time Nash was a member of of the New English Art Club, the London Group, the London Artists' Association, the Modern English Watercolour Society, and the International Society of Wood-engravers, but when 'Unit One' was formed he resigend from all other groups and societies. In 1933, he was elected a member of the Council for Art and Industry, having been president of the Society of Industrial Artists in the previous year. He was also visiting instructor to the School of Design at the Royal College of Art. In 1940 Nash was appointed an official war artist to the Air Ministry, and in 1941 to the Ministry of Information. Paul Nash died on 11 July 1946.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

This small collection of Paul Nash material was given to the Archive by the Paul Nash Trustees via Andrew Causey, who had been using the material for his book on Nash. It contains a wide range of material, including manuscripts and drafts of biographical pieces by his wife Margaret, lists and catalogues of paintings and works, as well as a small collection of artwork including proofs of illustrations.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

As the material was unsorted, it was possible to arrange it into the following sections: 769/1 Writing by Nash. 769/2 Material about Nash. 769/3 Correspondence. 769/4 Artwork. 769/5 Source material. 769/6 Printed ephemera. 769/7 Photographs. 769/8 Miscellaneous. 769/9 Press cuttings.

Conditions governing access:

Open. Access to all registered researchers

Conditions governing reproduction:

Usual copyright restrictions apply

Finding aids:

Paper and online catalogue available.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

This small collection of Paul Nash material was given to the Archive by the Paul Nash Trustees via Andrew Causey, who had been using the material for his book on Nash. It contains a wide range of material, including manuscripts and drafts of biographical pieces by his wife Margaret, lists and catalogues of paintings and works, as well as a small collection of artwork including proofs of illustrations.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Entry compiled by Suzanne Keyte for AIM25 from the Tate Archive catalogue

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with the General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD (G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: 1994


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