The continuing story of the house Joe and Mary Ann Scott lived in for over 50 years and the families that have lived here since.*
I would be fascinated at what Joe and Mary Ann would have thought about their house being painted, and painted by an artist as opposed to a painter and decorator.
I suspect they would have been pleased and a bit surprised at their home on Beech Road being singled out for such attention.
Given that Joe was an enterprising builder, he may have seen the commercial value of such a painting which could be reproduced in any one of a range of business promotions, from adverts to trade cards and entries in parish magazines.
But what is remarkable is that the house has been painted twice. Back in 2016 ** by Peter Topping who captured the house in a series of paintings recording the changing landscape of Beech Road.***
And again this year by Susan Parry.****
The style and medium are quite different and so make for an interesting contrast.
Added to this Susan’s was painted from inside the Rec, and as well as the trees and railings, it takes in the whole terrace of six houses.
All of which would have offered up fresh opportunities for Joe, allowing him to show off all six houses, which were built in 1915, and like all his properties were built for rent.
Only later did he begin to sell them off, possibly to finance the switch from terraced houses to semi detached properties in the late 1940s.
The property empire covered all of Chorlton from Beech Road, Provis, Higson, and Neale Roads, along with Beaumont and Belwood, and out to the roads between Oswald and Manchester Roads.
They were solid and sound homes, which have stood the test of time and are still popular today.
Leaving me to speculate on whether either artist will return to paint some of Joe’s other houses, adding to the portfolio of photographs which have been taken of the Scott’s house over the decades.
We shall see.
Location; Beech Road
Painting; Beech Road From the Park, Watercolour and soft pencil Susan H Parry, 2021
*The story of a house, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/The%20story%20of%20a%20house
**One hundred years of one house in Chorlton part 63 ............ The Painting, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/2016/09/one-hundred-years-of-one-house-in.html
***Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures, www.paintingsfrompictures.co.
**** Beech Road From the Park, Susan H Parry, www.susanparrywatercolourist.net
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