| Ref No | 2012.103/F/2 |
| Level | File |
| Extent | 45 items |
| Title | Papers related to Tennant's commissions undertaken in post-war Coventry |
| Date | 1946-1953 |
| Description | File of papers related to Trevor's commissions undertaken as part of the re-development of post-war Coventry. The file includes photographs, a programme and a letter from the City Architect, Donald Gibson, related to the laying of the Levelling Stone carved by Tennant (/1-5); photographs and a press cutting related to Tennant's large stone carvings 'People of Coventry' commissioned for Broadgate House, including images of Tennant working on the pieces on a bomb site in Prince Albert Road , London and further photographs of the carvings being unloaded in Coventry (/6-29); a black and white photograph of onlookers watching Tennant's mechanised clock carvings of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom (/30); black and white photographs of Tennant's falcon brick carving at a Junior School in Coventry (/31-40); a letter from 'The Birmingham Post' regarding prints of the photographs taken of Tennant's carvings (/41); a press cutting related to the planned re-development of Coventry (/42); a black and white photograph of an unrealised sketch annotated on the reverse by Tennant 'Sketch – The Two Cities, Coventry and Caen rise in triumph from the devastation of war and their citizens develop and pursue the arts of Peace. Design not yet carried out' (/43); a black and white photograph of an unrealised sketch annotated on the reverse by Tennant 'Sketch - The Two Cities, Coventry and Caen fight back when threatened by Death and Destruction. Design for sculpture not yet executed' (/44); and an image of both unrealised sketches side by side (/45). A number of photographs are annotated on the reverse by Tennant with the title and location of the piece and/or Tennant's name and address. |
| Notes | The Coventry City Architect, Donald Gibson, remained a champion of Tennant and his work. His reference for Tennant written in the late 1940s stated that the artist was 'a sculptor of very considerable importance' and in 1965 he opened Tennant's 'Figures in Movement' exhibition at the Molton Gallery, London. |
| Related Material | See 2012.103/G/2/2 for Tennant's correspondence related to the commissions; 2012.103/I/1/4 for a printed copy of 'Coventry: The Development Plan', Coventry, 1952; 2012.103/G/2/13 for Gibson reference; and 2012.103/H/2/5 for the exhibition catalogue for 'Figures in Movement' exhibition at the Molton Gallery opened by Gibson in 1965. |