Billy Childish piece at the centre of Short Brothers exhibition in Rochester
The exhibition marks the 75th anniversary of the Short Brothers factory closing in Rochester
Canopus off Borstal Billy Childish, 2012 Oil and charcoal on linen 183 x 274.5 cm Photo by Rikard Österlund Courtesy of L-13 Light Industrial Workshop, Clerkenwell and Neugerriemschneider, Berlin.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Short Brothers factory closing in Rochester.
This exhibition at Rochester Art Gallery celebrates the skill and creativity of a remarkable workforce featuring technical drawings, artwork, models, film, and memorabilia and at its centre a large-scale painting of the ‘Canopus’ flying boat by internationally-acclaimed Medway artist and musician Billy Childish.
The pioneering aeronautical company, founded in 1908 by the Short Brothers Horace, Eustace, and Oswald, was the first in the world to make production aeroplanes. Moving from Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey in 1915, the Shorts factory relocated to the banks of the River Medway at Borstal for over 30 years and later also at Rochester Airport.
At its peak, Shorts employed over 12,000 local people and tested its innovative flying boats on the river including the famous Empire and Sunderland models, as well as developing the WWII Shorts Stirling, the first four engine bomber.
The exhibition includes as reminiscence wall on which to add your memories of the Shorts factory and was created in partnership with Medway Archives & the Guildhall Museum Rochester.
In addition, Liz Walker, great-great-niece of the Short Brothers has also contibuted, while The Castle Club, Rochester, has loaned David Ellwood’s paintings.
Launching alongside the exhibition is a new augmented reality artwork inspired by the creativity of Short Brothers, by local illustrator Jon Schwochert. See Jon's designs in the exhibition or visit the Esplanade to experience them in augmented reality using your smart phone.
The exhibition opens on Friday, 28 July and runs till Saturday, 14 October.
CLICK HERE TO READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BILLY CHILDISH
