Could you explain this bit?
Thirdly, Tate’s collections include items given by or associated with individuals who were slave-owners or whose wealth came from slavery. For example,
J.M.W. Turner's Sussex sketchbooks were
connected with commissions from John Fuller;
Sir Joshua Reynolds’s The Banished Lord was
presented by Rev. William Long; and Reynolds's
The Infant Samuel was
bequeathed by Charles Long, Lord Farnborough.
I get the fact that JMW Turner had com missions from John Fuller MP, as slave estate heir.
But the other works to do with Joshua Reynolds, I couldn't see what the connection with slavery was.
Not that I have any brief for Joshua Reynolds who was a society painter of the upper classes, whereas JMW Turner was rather more like Beethoven - concerned with the truths of the human soul.
Henry Tate was the son of a Unitarian Minister,, He was born in Chorley, Lancs. Lived in Streatham later on in life.
According to Wkipedia's article on the Streatham Librery, his donations were:
Tate rapidly became a millionaire, and donated generously to charity. In addition to his donations which eventually gave rise to the Tate Gallery, his anonymous and discreet gifts included £42,500 for Liverpool University, £3500 for Bedford College for Women, and £5000 for building a free library in Streatham; additional provisions were made for libraries in Balham, South Lambeth, and Brixton. There was £10,000 for the library of Manchester College, Oxford, and, also to Manchester College, £5000 to promote the ‘theory and art of preaching’. In addition he gave £20,000 to the (homoeopathic) Hahnemann Hospital in Liverpool in 1885, £8000 to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary, and £5000 to the Queen Victoria Jubilee Institute, which became the Queen's Institute for District Nurses. In 1887 he gave £5000 to the Tate Institute in Silvertown.
I'm intrigued to kniow if this collector of Pre Raphelite paintings, who had to build a gallery to donate his collection to the nation - becuase the National Gallery had no room - is edging his way towards being the Ceicil Rhodes of Streatham?
Actually Andrew Carnegie - who donated most of the charitably sponsored libraries in UK is a more unattractive figure. Steel magnate and monopolist, I'm sure his trading practices could be questioned - and his employment practices. He did have one interesting eccentricity which would go down well here though - he didn't believe in inherited wealth which is why he gave so much money away.
Not sure why Carnegie didn't get a bust in Herne Hill Road. Maybe becuase the Carnedie Library is not opposite a Town Hall. And it was in Camberwell Borough anyway..