Lamb, William, ARSA
1893 – 1951
The sixth and youngest child of a retired sea captain, John S.Lamb, he was born at 1 Mill Street, Montrose and attended North Links School (1898-1906) where he was poor academically but showed an early interest in art. 1906-12 he was apprenticed to his elder brother james as a monumental mason at White's Place, Montrose, winning a stone carving competition fro competence and speed in 1909. He attended evening Art Continuation Classes at Montrose Academy during this time and executed his first plaster head in 1910-11. 1912-14 he worked at Edwards, granite merchants, Aberdeen, wher ehe studied at Gray's School of Art. A keen footballer and cricketer during his time in Aberdeen he captained Mugiemoss junior football team and played twice for Aberdeen FC (founded 1903). 1914-18 he enlisted in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and saw active service in the trenches of France and Belgium. Promoted to Lance Corporal he was discharged unfit through injuries sustained, having been twice wounded including extensive damage to his right hand. Undaunted he attended drawing, modelling and leathercraft classes under John M Myles and Lena Gaudie of the art department of Montrose Academy between 1918 and 1921, before moving to Edinburgh. There he studied (1921-22) sculpture under Percy Portsmouth and drawing under David Foggie, both at Edinburgh College of Art, learning how to use his left hand. From 1922-24 he studied at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris under Professor Boucher and undertook a 3000 mile bicycle trip of France and Italy, befor ereturning to Montrose in 1924, taking a studio above the premises of George Cathro, Painter & Decorator, at 33 Bridge Street. In 1925 he exhibited for the first time at the Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy (where he showed 119 works during his lifetime) and at the Paris Salon. In 1929 he received the RSA's Guthrie Award for his sculpture "Ferryden Fisherwife", and in 1931 was elected ARSA. The following year he was invited by the Duchess of York, the future Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, whose family home, Glamis Castle was nearby, to model heads of the Royal Family and was commissioned to model Princess margaret for the Margaret Rose Hospital in Edinburgh. With the money recieved from these commissions he was able to build a new studio at 24 Market Street, designed by George Fairweather, into which he moved in 1934. In 1945 he set up a stone carving business in North Esk Road with his nephew David. Having refused an operation, he died in hospital of kidney failure on 12 January 1951 and is buried in Sleepyhillock Cemetery, Montrose. (information from William Lamb ARSA 1893-1951 CAtalogue (Norman Atkinson , Angus District Council Museums and Art Galleries, 1979). Vide also http://archive.angus.gov.uk/history/features/people/lamb1.htm Lamb bequeathed his studio and contents to Montrose Town Council on his death and it was opened as a Memorial Studio to hoim in 1955. Refurbished in 1978 the Studio is now part of Angus Council's Museums Service and is open on selected days and times and otherwise by appointment (vide; http://archive.angus.gov.uk/history/museums/montrose/lamb.htm)
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