MORGAN, Alfred

1835 - 1924

Alfred Morgan was born at Claydon near Ipswich on 19 October 1835, and baptised at St Peter's Church, Claydon on 16 July 1837, third child of Daniel Morgan (1807-1866), a shoemaker, and his wife Lydia née Baxter (1809-1867), who married at Claydon on 21 October 1831. In 1841, Alfred was living at The Street, Claydon with his parents, Daniel and Lydia and four siblings, Caroline, William, Daniel and Joseph. Alfred studied in Norwich for four and a half years and by 1851, a 25-year-old artist & postcard promoter, living at 6 Thistle Grove, Kensington, London where he continued his studies. He married at Ipswich in 1867, Jessey Roe (13 July 1833-16 March 1908). A painter of still life, dead game and flowers, genre, portraits, landscapes, historical and scriptural subjects and exhibited at the Royal Academy; the British Institution; Royal Society of British Artists and the Grosvenor Gallery between 1864 and 1917, from London. A member of the Ipswich Art Club 1884-1923 but was exhibiting from at least 1881 when he exhibited from 23 Clareville Grove, South Kensington, London four works 'Leatherhead Bridge, Autumn', 'Evening, Hertfordshire', 'A Rustic Nosegay' and 'Ready for the Feast' and four works in each of 1882, 1883, 1884 and 1885 and was a regular annual exhibitor with his last exhibits, from this address in 1888, three watercolours 'Welbourne Minster', 'Among the Quarries' and 'Winchelsea Churchyard'. In 1899 he exhibited from 59 Albert Bridge Road, Battersea, London 'A Summer's Day, Bury, Sussex', 'French Roses', 'Moss Roses' and 'Spring Flowers' after which he exhibited from 30 Palewell Road, East Sheen, Surrey. Morgan supplemented his income by giving private tuition and taking on ceiling and other architectural decoration, including work on the redecoration of Warwick Castle after an extensive fire. In 1901, a 65-year-old artist painter, living at 30 Palewell Park, Mortlake, Surrey with his 67-year-old wife Jessey with three of his six children including artist Owen Baxter Morgan and was still there ten years later. After 1920, as Alfred was suffering from deteriorating eyesight, his paintings are noted for their lack of clarity. Alfred Morgan died at 30 Palewell Park, East Sheen, Surrey on 17 March 1924, aged 88 and his 1924 exhibits at Ipswich, from 30 Palewell Road 'the late Alfred Morgan' were four oils 'Looking towards Walberswick from Southwold', 'Carnations', 'Summer Roses' and 'Roses'. Alfred Morgan's most important painting was 'An Omnibus Ride to Piccadilly Circus: Mr Gladstone Travelling with Ordinary Passengers' from family photographs the 'ordinary passengers' have been identified as the artist and his wife Jessey seated in the far corners with daughter Jessie and son Owen seated beside their mother, the other lady has not been positively identified. This painting was purchased at auction by London dealer Richard Green in June 2003 for £476,000 and was later offered for resale at £850,000. Three of his six children became accomplished artist, Alfred Kedington Morgan (23 July 1868-14 April 1828), Owen Baxter Morgan (9 April 1873-29 August 1920) and daughter Ethel Mahala Morgan (5 September 1875-22 December 1926).

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 10 Thistle Grove, West Brompton
1864 339 The Young Pretender
1865 65 Killed in Sport
         481 A Dainty Peck
1866 426 Happy Moments
from Grove Lodge, Gloucester Road West, Old Brompton
1867 69 A Dead Pheasant
         100 Boy and Game
1868 143 Mrs Morgan
         442 Miss Roe
         874 Italian Peasant
1873 461 Baby’s Nosegay
         684 Autumn Flowers
         1054 A Market Stall
1874 22 Nature's Bounty
         1014 A Feast Ready
from 32 Grove Lodge, Clairville Grove, South Kensington
1875 455 Ethel and Helen: Portraits
1877 32 Happy
1878 516 A Labour of Love
         888 'Take me with you, mamma'
1881 343 Ready for the Feast
1886 584 Easter Sunday
         891 A Basket of Peonies
from 12 Hertford Gardens, Albert Bridge, Southwest London
1888 783 The Bath
1894 314 Cherries
         648 Carnations
from 89 Albert Bridge Road, Battersea Park
1895 653 Carnations
1899 607 Mary Magdalene at the Sepulchre
         703 A Quiet Afternoon
         722 Pinks and Wallflowers
1900 105 Double Daffodils
         152 Roses
         833 Chrysanthemums
         849 Primroses
from 30 Palewell Park, East Sheen, Southwest London
1901 633 Forget-me-nots
1902 862 Return of the Prodigal Son
1904 425 Sunny Moments
1905 523 In Time of Trouble
1906 527 Summer Roses
1907 736 The Light of other Days
1908 370 A Festal Garland
1914 321 Carnations
         399 Autumnal Glory
1915 632 Carnations
1917 497 Remember Rheims
         550 Christmas Greetings from across the Seas

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Works by This Artist