Sir Waldron Smithers; Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth
1 portrait by Ronald Searle
Sir Waldron Smithers; Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth
by Ronald Searle
pen and ink and blue crayon, 1951
9 3/4 in. x 10 3/8 in. (247 mm x 262 mm)
Purchased with funding from the Elizabeth Weisz Fund, 2010
Primary Collection
NPG 6894
Sittersback to top
- Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth (1888-1965), Politician; Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister. Sitter associated with 97 portraits.
- Sir Waldron Smithers (1880-1954), Politician; MP for Chislehurst and Orpington. Sitter associated with 8 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Ronald William Fordham Searle (1920-2011), Artist and illustrator. Artist or producer of 1 portrait, Sitter in 19 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Famous for his zany delineations of British life, and a contributor to the creative programme of the Festival of Britain in 1951, Searle recorded the challenges Morrison faced during its development. Sir Waldron Smithers, the Tory MP for Orpington, seen here grudgingly acknowledging the event's success, grilled Morrison on its likely cost. Nicknamed 'Lord Festival', Morrison relished his supervisory task, seeing the spectacle as a symbolic re-affirmation of national identity and the chance to provide some restorative fun. He stamped his own character on the event, which similarly blended cockney sensibility with an agenda for social reform.
Linked publicationsback to top
- MacCarthy, Fiona, Anarchy & Beauty: William Morris and His Legacy 1860-1960, 2014 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 16 October 2014 - 11 January 2015), p. 111
Placesback to top
- Place portrayed: United Kingdom: England, London (Festival of Britain, South Bank, London)
Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top
- Anarchy and Beauty: William Morris (16 October 2014 - 11 January 2015)
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1951back to top
Current affairs
The Conservative Party wins the general election and Winston Churchill returns for a second term as prime minister.Art and science
On the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Festival of Britain is held as a nationwide celebration of British culture, and as an impetus for post-war regeneration. As well as various art, science and industrial exhibitions and events, a major regeneration project was initiated for the South Bank area of London under the directorship of the architect, Hugh Casson.International
Libya declares its sovereignty from Italian rule, becoming the first independent state to be created by the UN.At the Treaty of San Francisco, 48 nations sign a peace treaty with Japan, officially ending the Pacific War - the last battleground of the Second World War.
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.