| Admin/Biog History | Colman, Russell James (1861-1946) was a collector of works by artists of the Norwich School, including c 500 works by Cotman. He bequethed his collection to the Norwich Castle Museum in 1946 along with the funds to establish the Colman Art Galleries.
Oppé wrote about the collection prior to Colman's death: Oppé, A.P. (1945) The Colman Exhibition of Cotman at Norwich. The Burlington Magazine, 87(509), pp. 196-200. |
| Description | This file contains the following correspondence relating to Colman's collection and the bequest:
-letter from Miss G.V. Barnard, Castle Museum, dated 7 Aug 1945, concerning Oppé's article on the collection
-three letters from Russell Colman, dated between 28 Sep-10 Oct 1943, concerning Colman's request for assistance from Oppé with the bequest, in particular a request to write about the collection
-letter from Oppé to J. Kennedy North, dated 22 Nov 1936, concerning a detailed description of the works by Cotman in the Colman collection. Also includes a reply by Kennedy North, dated 3 Dec 1936
-two letters from Sydney D. Kitson, dated 17 & 25 Nov 1936, concerning a set of works by Cotman referred to as the 'XIX'
-three letters from Norman D. Lupton, dated between 21-25 Nov 1936, concerning recollections of purchasing various works by Cotman
-letter from C.D. Medley, dated 4 Oct 1943, concerning an 'historical index' sent to them by Oppé
Also includes Oppé's 1945 article, newspaper cuttings, research notes on Colman's collection and a draft text concerning the bequest.
The Paul Mellon Centre's Archives & Library collections contain additional material on this artist. Please see the Artist Guide on our website for further information (link below). |
| Image Caption | Draft for a speech on the Colman Bequest, entitled 'Munificent Gift', dated [c 1946] |