alfred wallis was born on this day 1855
~~ 8 August 2026 ~~
8 August 1855 is the date recorded on Alfred Wallis's birth certificate. The date inscribed on his grave - 18 August - was given to Bernard Leach, but is incorrect.
Alfred Wallis was born at 5 Pond Lane, a notorious slum beside the market in Devonport, Devon, where he spent the first four years of his life.
A contemporary newspaper described Pond Lane as "a nest of dilapidated tenements, the removal of which would open and ventilate this pestiferous neighbourhood". It added that those "who had the courage to enter here encountered abominations".
These were the surroundings in which Wallis's remarkable story began.
'Alfred Wallis Child Pauper To Artistic Luminary' reveals the harsh realities of his impoverished childhood, the tragedy that overtook his immediate family, and how he went on to become a resilient mariner, devoted family man, successful businessman, and ultimately an artist who found lasting personal fulfilment.
Interview on bbc radio cornwall
~~ 21 July 2026 ~~
I was delighted to be on BBC Radio Cornwall to talk about Alfred Wallis Child Pauper To Artistic Luminary after winning the Leonard Truran Cup.
the book wins top award at holyer an gof july 2026
~~ 4 July 2026 ~~
I am thrilled to announce that Alfred Wallis Child Pauper To Artistic Luminary was awarded the Leonard Truran Cup for the 'Most Outstanding Entry' at the annual Holyer an Gof Publishers' Awards, which were held at Kresen Kernow by Gorsedh Kernow on 4 July 2026. The book also won the Adult Non-Fiction category for Social, cultural and political history.
Alfred Wallis: An Artists' Artist at pallant house gallery From 21 November 2026 – 2 May 2027
~~ 31 July 2026 ~~
Bringing together Wallis’s paintings and works by artists who collected them, this exhibition explores his lasting influence on modernist approaches to perspective, form, colour and composition, while celebrating a body of work that remains entirely unique.
Alfred wallis painting at cromer
~~ 19 March 2026 ~~
Alfred Wallis sold this painting of a steamer to art collector Lucy Wertheim in 1930, when she visited him to buy his work for her new London gallery.
‘Steamer’ by Wallis is now part of The Bigger Picture 2026 - Art around Cromer with Towner Eastbourne. Featuring full-size reproductions from the Towner Eastbourne collection, the artworks are presented across public spaces -transforming the coastal town of Cromer in Norfolk into a free, accessible, open-air gallery.
