Moran works return for birthday celebration

Then and Now: Scenes of Long Island and Yellowstone by the Morans is the title of the show, which will see drawings and etchings by Thomas Moran, as well as etchings by his Scottish-born wife Mary Nimmo Moran, go on display.

Alongside these will be contemporary photographs of the places featured taken by the museum’s Curator of Art, Fiona Salvesen, during her Winston Churchill Fellowship trip to the USA in 2006.

Thomas Moran was born in Bolton in February 1837 and moved to the USA with his family aged seven. He developed as a landscape painter, and went on to become one of America’s greatest artists.

In 1871 he accompanied the first geological survey expedition to Yellowstone. His paintings of this spectacular region managed to convey the incredible colours and features of the area. On his return from the trip, when politicians were shown his work, their beauty persuaded them of the need to protect this land and so Yellowstone was designated the world’s first national park.

The exhibition will also feature recent gifts of etchings by the Morans, which will be the first chance visitors will have to see these wonderful works of art. Three oil paintings by Thomas will be on display in the art gallery adjacent to the exhibition, which form part of Bolton Museum’s extensive collection of work by the Morans, the largest outside the USA.

Councillor Ismail Ibrahim, Executive Member for Culture and Community Services, said: “Fiona’s trip was part of the Service’s strategic plan to develop Bolton as a centre for the study of the Moran family and other Bolton-born emigrant artists and their legacy in helping to develop the image of North America that has such powerful cultural resonance today.

We are really proud in Bolton to be the birthplace of Thomas Moran and have a brilliant collection of his superb work. He’s rightly known the world over for the amazing scenes he created, which had such a big impact in protecting some of the world’s most valuable spaces. This exhibition is a great chance to come and see some of his work and compare the places he painted all those years ago with photos of how they look now.”

The exhibition is open from 5th May until 11th August and admission is free. On Saturday 9th June there will be a special day of free family activities, guided tours and talks as part of the show.