Handsworth Views by Allen Edward Everitt

Description:Everitt (1824-1882) was a prolific Birmingham artist and antiquarian whose watercolours and line and wash drawings are an important visual record of the historic architecture of the West Midlands. He lived for much of his life in Edgbaston, first at George Road then later at The Grove, a Regency house in Frederick Road. His work comprises drawings of medieval churches at a time when so many were being extensively restored or rebuilt, as well as Elizabethan and Georgian buildings from both town and country.

Everitt exhibited extensively and regularly at the Birmingham Society of Artists from 1841-83, this includes a posthumous exhibition. In total this amounted to 328 paintings of buildings, mostly churches. Between 1853-58 he showed eight paintings at the Royal Academy. Everitt can be found in the Birmingham trade directories from 1854-78.

The paintings here are mostly of St Mary's Church before, during and after the restoration work . Also included though are Heathfield Hall, Perry Hall and Handsworth Old Town Hall.