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International Museums Week: New Acquisition

TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUMS WEEK WHANGAREI ART MUSEUM IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE AN IMPORTANT NEW ADDITION TO THE WAM HERITAGE COLLECTION.

THOMAS LOUDEN DRUMMOND 'WHANGAREI HEADS' 1894 OIL ON CANVAS

Purchased last week from Webb's Auctions this large and magnificent painting is now secured for the public collection and joins two large companion works of the Whangarei Heads and harbour in the museum collection. The art museum now owns the largest holdings (8 paintings) of this pioneer artist in any public collection nationally. A painting from this period of Whangarei Heads "Early Morning Whangarei"1899 is also in the Auckland Art Gallery Collection.

T.L. Drummond (1850-1926) was a foundation member of the Auckland Society of Arts in 1875 and elected to the committee in 1880. He was a respected colleague of Frank and Walter Wright, Kennett Watkins, Alfred Sharpe, Charles Blomfield and other famous artists of his era many of whom came to visit and paint in the district.

He was also a pioneer photographer and his family gifted the Drummond Te Wake collection to the Northern Advocate (In the absence of a public gallery at the time).He established Drummond Ironmongers In 1890 in Whangarei and in 1900 was elected president of the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce. His family also gifted parkland known as Drummond Park in 1944 in his memory.

T.L.Drummond is represented in the collections of the Whangarei Art Museum, Northland Society of Arts, Auckland Art Gallery, Sarjeant Gallery Wanganui, Waikato Museum and the Turnbull Library Wellington.

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