SOPER COLLECTION

? - ?

The content of the Sopers’ family home at Welwyn were to reveal a treasure trove of original Soper artwork. After the death of both Eileen Alice Soper and later of her sister Eva (1901-1990), their joint wills stipulated that each piece should be sold to raise funds for the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution. It was an initial exhibition in Lavenham, Suffolk in 1990 of the artwork of George Soper that captured the attention of John Baker and his wife Joy. John was insistent that the entire collection should not be broken up and together they arranged to purchase sixteen pieces, and the couple continued to purchase items as more of George Soper’s artwork was released. Later Eileen Soper's work appeared in an exhibition and the Bakers took out a mortgage to enable a collection of Eileen’s wildlife works to be kept together with that of her father and amassed artwork over a period of 25 years. John Baker died in 1994 but hoped that the collection would continue to grow and be available for the public to enjoy. Joy continued to purchase the artwork, growing the collection to over seven hundred original pieces along with a huge array of memorabilia, some purchased, and a mass being entrusted by Chris Beetles Ltd. The Soper collection was housed in the ex-trading rooms of J and J Baker Antiques 12–14 Water Street, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10 9RW which was granted permission for Charity use and used for selling items for the Soper Collection Charity, for visits by groups and use for trustee meetings and planning. However larger premises were sought in Suffolk to house the collection but in 2023 a permanent home for The Soper Collection, including memorabilia was found at the Pannett Art Gallery, Whitby, with direct connection to the Soper family.
Website: https://www.thesopercollection.org