| Admin/Biog History | The English playwright, novelist, and short story writer, William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) bequeathed his theatrical paintings and drawings collection to the National Theatre.
After their acquisition, they suffered extensive water damage whilst in storage. In 1976, Sewell was commissioned to repair and restore the collection before it was displayed at the National Theatre in London. The pictures were hung in the restaurant for a short time but, because one was damaged and four were stolen, the remainder were quickly removed. After being stored in several locations, the collection finally gained a permanent home at the Holburne Museum in Bath in 2011. |
| Description | Includes:
-Report on the Condition of the Somerset Maugham Theatre Paintings, prepared by Sewell for The Arts Council of Great Britain, July 1976
-letter and order from Douglas Cornelissen, Building Services Manager, National Theatre, dated 18 October 1976, engaging Sewell to carry out restoration work to the damaged picture titled Silvester Daggerwood
-letter from Mark Harrison, Secretary, The South Bank Theatre Board, dated 27 January 1978, forwarding a final payment for Sewell's restoration work
-three letters between Sewell and Lois Sieff, former Board member of the National Theatre, dated 5 September 2005-10 December 2011, concerning the various temporary locations of the collection in the 2000s |