THE paintings of Blackburn artist John Chapman take viewers back to an earlier age.
They evoke the age of steam, the landscape of the 1950s, or an Edwardian street scene.
Now a book of more than 100 illustrations, which bring the hustle and bustle of Lancashire in a different era, to life, has been re-printed.
John Chapman was born in Blackburn, in September 1946, the second son of Bill and Alice, who both worked in the textile industry.
In 1929, Bill had sought work in Canada on a government scheme but, when things didn’t work out, he was discovered as a stowaway on board a ship bound for Liverpool and made to work his passage.
Following active service in the war – he took part in the D-Day landings – he settled down to work in Blackburn, at Rutherford’s Engineering, and later at Singer-Cobble.
The family lived in New Bank Road, and John attended St Silas’s Junior School, which was just across the road.
His older brother Michael, who used to sketch cars, ships, and aircraft, was a strong influence, and John also felt compelled to pick up a pencil.
John’s childhood memories include Lucas’s toy shop, at the bottom of his road, which had a working Hornby Dublo electric train set in the window, and attracted all the young lads.
He and his mum would go into town shopping on Saturday afternoon, and their trips around the market, through Thwaites arcade, and along Church Street, have since prompted numerous paintings.
Bill often went to watch the Rovers, but the family often went hiking together, until Michael got a job on the railways, working as a parcels clerk at Blackburn station, When he was 11, John went to Bangor Street Secondary Modern, and the family moved to Pemberton Street, behind the huge Roe Lee cotton mills.
The art teacher there was Peter Shackleton, who had achieved celebrity status by selling a painting to Barbara Castle and appearing on TV, and he arranged for John to have classes at Blackburn College of Art on Saturday mornings.
James Dolby was head of the art department and, over the years, inspired a generation of artists. There are examples of his work in Blackburn Art Gallery.
John left school in 1961 and started work as a trainee layout artist at the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, but carried on painting at home, and took a day release course at college on typography, while going to life classes in the evenings.
He then became a technical illustrator at Chaseside Engineering, at British Northrop, where his drawing desk commanded a good view of the railway line and steam trains hauling long coal trains.
The family now lived in Whalley New Road and Bill, a storeman, was looking forward to retirement and playing bowls in Roe Lee park.
Being made redundant in 1968 made up John’s mind to be an independent, professional artist, and Cronshaw’s, in Darwen Street, where he had paintings framed, suggested visiting galleries in Manchester, where his work attracted much interest.
He also exhibited examples of his work at Blackburn Artists’ show, at the Lewis Textile Museum. They were all sold for seven guineas before the doors opened to the public, so he decided to increase his price to 12 guineas.
His career was off the ground.
John Chapman’s Lancashire, by Stephen Whittle, published by Halsgrove, costs £24.99.
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