Ken Ford
WALTER HENRY SWEET aka BRIAN GERALD
For my EXHIBITIONS collection I bought some postcards of the 1938 Glasgow Empire Exhibition painted by Brian Gerald that I thought were very well done. (See kenford.me/exhibitions). When I found out that in the 1930s he had produced some of Bridlington, where I spent childhood holidays, I sought them out and bought them:
I did some research and found out that Brian Gerald was actually Walter Henry Sweet who used his sons' names when he went to work for Valentines of Dundee, where he produced over 1000 cards. Under his own name he produced paintings and sketches of his native Devon some of which have been published in the booklet shown on the right.
I have also been able to collect some of his signed etchings. The ones shown below include a set of six scenes of Venice.
2021
I have since collected the four remaining Brian Gerald postcards of Bridlington
From the vast output of postcards by Brian Gerald I decided to collect ones showing views of London
2022
I have now got this original watercolour by Walter H Sweet of The Rows in Chester
Walter Henry Sweet 1889-1943 Studied at St. John's School, Exeter and Exeter School of Art