A Challenge!

Whitlock - Gloucester artist from 1960s

Amy Freeman, a local artist, is doing a community project based on a recently rediscovered sheet of wrapping paper. Amy asked Archives if we could help her track down the artist.

The wrapping paper used to be sold at Debenhams and featured the buildings of Gloucester.

Archivist, Karen Davidson was able to solve the mystery – A E Whitlock was the advertising manager for the Bon Marche for six months in 1967. We hold a copy of the wrapping paper ourselves – D10754/1

Shirley Williams, a former colleague at Gloucestershire Archives until she retired found the wrapping paper when she was clearing out and tidying up ready to move to Pembrokeshire in 2006. At the time we thought it might be the only one still in existence, but evidently not.

Cuttings from the Citizen and Journal in December 1967, newspaper cuttings vol 22 pages 121 and 132.

The City's critic mentioned in the title was Lord Eustan, Chair of the Society for the Protection for Ancient Buildings who said, "Gloucester had been practically destroyed.."

Did you know that between the late 1950s and early 1970s over 100 listed buildings in Gloucester city centre were de-listed and demolished? 

Amy standing in front of her shop window display based on the wrapping paper.