The Man Who Painted His House
On 20th May, All Saints’ Church in Cambridge will host a special screening of The Man Who Painted His House, a new short film that offers a powerful tribute to the life and work of David Parr, a working-class Victorian decorative artist.
Film still: Mr and Mrs Parr. Courtesy of Victoria Mills Birkbeck.
Researched and produced by Dr Victoria Mills and directed by Lily Ford, the film draws upon the collections and archives of the David Parr House to reveal the astonishing story of a man who transformed his modest home into a richly patterned Arts & Crafts masterpiece.
Master Bedroom View. Credit: Lucinda Douglas Menzies.
Parr was born in Cambridge and trained with F. R. Leach & Sons, a local decorating firm that worked with some of the leading figures of the Arts & Crafts movement, including William Morris. Outside of work, Parr dedicated four decades to painstakingly decorating every surface of his terraced home with intricate motifs inspired by the very artists he assisted...
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Piano, Drawing Room View. Credit: Lucinda Douglas Menzies.
All other images as credited in photo captions.