David Hillhouse ‘Shop Front, Birkenhead’

About This Project

David Hillhouse is a popular artist at the Williamson. He was curator and Principal Museums Officer for Wirral Council, based here, for many years. Several of his paintings feature in our “Your Williamson” exhibition, and in September 2021 we ran a poll for the public to select which of his works from our collection was their favourite.

The winner was ‘Shop Front, Birkenhead, Wirral’. Comments from voters about this painting included:

Sam: “It’s such a beautiful, detailed and evocative painting bringing back such lovely memories of real sweet shops from my childhood. ”

Pat Stanistreet: “I had a flat in Birkenhead in the early 70s, over and behind a florists. Love the detail of the painting, historically important but also nostalgic.”

Andrew: “I keep noticing things every time I see it”

Barbara Jones: “It brings back so many memories.”

About the Artist:

David Hillhouse (1945-2013) was an artist, teacher and curator, born in Wirral, who worked in watercolour and egg tempera. In the 1960s–1970s he studied at Laird School of Art and Liverpool College of Art. He graduated in 1969 and was elected a member of RCamA in 1979, becoming its vice-president. Hillhouse was a teacher, curator of the Williamson Art Gallery, and Principal Museums Officer for Wirral. He showed with Wirral Society of Arts and Deeside Art Group, both of which he was a member, on Merseyside and elsewhere.

View all Visitor Favourites selections here.