William Collister
Date made: c.1900
Artist: Bradshaw, Joseph Cecil
Description: Mr William Collister by Jospeh Cecil Bradshaw.
William Collister was the Coxwain of the first "pulling" (rowing) lifeboat, to come to the Isle of Man. William Collister was based at the Port Erin Station of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI). He and his crew were responsible for many rescues from ships wrecked off the south coast of the Isle of Man. He was coxswain from 1883-1896.
He died aged 85 years in 1927. He was a fisherman and boatman by trade.
There is also a portrait of his wife, Mrs William Collister (need Catherine Christian) by J. Cecil Bradshaw in the collection.
Jospeh Cecil Bradshaw was a highly skilled portrait painter and photographer, who moved to the Isle of Man from Manchester with his brother John Champion Bradshaw. It is unknown why Bradshaw produced the portraits of the relatively humble Collisters, but they were from Port Erin and Bradshaw’s brother, John, was living in the south of the island at the time, so it's possible they made a link that way. He was interested in capturing the Manx fishing industry and photographing people connected to the trade. It is possible the paintings were commissioned from a photograph taken by Bradshaw, after the death of Collister’s wife in 1921.
Measurements: overall: 90 cm x 70 cm
Materials: oil on canvas
Object name: painting
Collection: Art Collection
ID number: 1960-0494
Subject tags : #mm100artcollection
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