Queer St Ives and Other Stories

In 1952, John Milne moved to St. Ives to work as an assistant to Barbara Hepworth. Trewyn, his home, became a meeting place for queer figures from the arts and was the scene of legendary parties. Queer St. Ives and Other Stories features a large cast of artists, actors, writers, and potters, including Francis Bacon, Alan Lowndes, Marlow Moss, Patrick Procktor, Mark Tobey, Keith Vaughan, Brian Wall, Bryan Robertson, Keith Barron, Richard Wattis, Janet Leach, and Tony Warren. The book reveals a previously undocumented history, adding vital new insights into the history of this fabled Cornish art colony.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 456 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2022
Publisher: Ridinghouse

This groundbreaking queer history of St Ives seamlessly intertwines biography, art, and social history to shed fresh light on a pivotal period in the development of British modernism. At its heart lies the sculptor John Milne (1931–1978), who arrived in the town in 1952 to work as an assistant to Barbara Hepworth. Nestled within 20-foot-high granite walls, Milne's house, Trewyn, became a gathering place for queer figures from the arts, as well as the site of legendary parties. The extensive cast, comprising both queer and non-queer artists, is featured in Queer St Ives and Other Stories, including Francis Bacon, Alan Lowndes, Marlow Moss, Patrick Procktor, Mark Tobey, Keith Vaughan, and Brian Wall; Whitechapel Art Gallery director Bryan Robertson; actors Keith Barron and Richard Wattis; potter Janet Leach; and writers Tony Warren and Richard Blake Brown. Additionally, there is the extraordinary Julian Nixon, a queer Everyman whose involvement in the group has been relatively unexplored until now.

Queer St Ives and Other Stories, based on original interviews and previously unpublished letters and diaries, unveils a fascinating, previously undocumented history, providing valuable new insights into the history of this renowned Cornish art colony. Support for this publication was provided by the Paul Mellon Centre.

Weight: 486g
Dimension: 155 x 227 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781909932692