Bradford District Museums and Galleries and Keighley & District Local History Society are delighted to be showing a selection of works by Stan Boardman, 50 years after his previous exhibition of works at Cliffe Castle Museum.
Stan Boardman grew up in the Fell Lane area of Keighley in the 1920s. Fifty years later he recalled his childhood in the town, with its characters, places and rituals, in a series of paintings collectively known as the “1920’s Boy” set. These paintings were exhibited to much acclaim at Cliffe Castle in the summer of 1973. Stan was such a terrific storyteller that he became a popular guest on TV chat shows such as ‘Pebble Mill at One’. There was even a local musical inspired by his stories.
Professionally he had been a successful sign-writer. He had served in the Army during World War II and was involved in the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. As well as painting and signwriting, Stan was an accomplished carver, cartoonist and writer, and even decorated fairground rides.
After he finished working in the late sixties, he and his wife bought a house in Steeton. The house came with a large barn in which Stan was free to pursue his painting. When it came to the “1920’s Boy” series, Stan explained that he wanted to paint something totally different. He would begin by painting the background scenes in a relatively realistic style, and he often incorporated elements where he would utilise his skills and precision as a sign-writer. The foreground figures were often painted quite cartoon-like because Stan reckoned that if he painted them realistically then nobody would really look at them.
Stan died in 1996. In 2017, his daughter handed over an archive of many of his paintings and other items to Keighley and District Local History Society and it’s some of these works we have on display.
