By Tabisa Mntengwana
13 November 2008

THE elegant entrance to the Ann Bryant Gallery is on St Lukes Road in Southernwood. Here, two tall facades, with chimney-topped gables, lie at the end of a long lawn and tree-lined path.

Made of heavy timber, the gallery’s main doors are placed in an arch of stained leaded glass. From the inside, the glass around the doors glows like a shimmering peacock tail.

Entering the house, which is still in its original form, one can view the gallery’s latest exhibition.

The gallery officially opened in 1948 with a permanent collection of paintings collected by Elizabeth Ann Leatherland during the last 20 years of her life. The house belonged to her husband, Edmund Bryant, and was left to her when he died in 1942. She, in turn, left the house to the City of East London to be used as an art gallery.

“The Bryants had a vast interest in art and during those years they built up a private collection of paintings by British and European artists of the 18th and 19th century,” said gallery curator Leon du Preez.

The house was built in 1905 as a private residence for Arthur Savage, the father of well-known artist Elaine Savage. It was bought by the Bryants in 1907.

Originally, the house stood between St Lukes and St Marks roads in Southernwood, but was later extended to between Belgrave Road and Oxford Street. It was then known as The Gables.

Alterations were made in turning the residence into a public gallery, including the removal of doors and fireplaces. Portions of the inner walls upstairs were taken down to make room for exhibiting paintings. “Doors were taken down and fireplaces removed to give more unbroken spaces for displaying pictures while the downstairs section was converted into a flat for a resident caretaker,” said Du Preez.

Early 1947, the council, with the help of the East London Art Society, bought 45 pictures owned by the East London Museum “but only nine were officially handed over to the gallery and seven were presented by individuals”, reads a report from the gallery.

It was controlled by an advisory board which concentrated on South African artists and building up a representative collection of their works. Throughout the years the art society purchased and presented pictures and paintings to the gallery.

Most of the artworks were by Emily Fern, Piet van Heerden and Joan Wright; the latter’s painting Zulu Girl was the first item bought at the gallery.

Now, after 60 years in operation, the gallery boasts collections from various artists, including Thomas Bowler, Maud Sumner, Lawrence Scully, George Pumba and Norman Catherine.

It has also received artworks from Nils Andersen and Sydney Carter, and has Irma Stern’s Transkeian Native. “There is also an interesting collection of graphic work, from etchings by British artists of the earlier decades and other contemporary South Africa artists, sculptures and ceramics,” Du Preez said.

With the help of the East London Art Society, the gallery has held various exhibitions ranging from miniature paintings to the Peep Show, Anything but Paint, and an annual paintings and sculptures exhibition.

Every Friday, the gallery holds a lunch-hour video session of the artworks showcased at the gallery.

In St Marks Road in southernwood, the Ann Bryant Art Gallery is open from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm; and on Saturdays and public holidays from 9am to 12pm. The gallery is closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Freedom Day, Workers’ Day and Youth Day.

For more information, contact Leon du Preez on 043 722 4044 or email annbryant@intekom.co.za