The Eric Meadus Campaign

	Eric Meadus (1931-70) came from the local 'Flower Roads' (he was born in Rigby Road but his family soon moved to Lobelia Road). He was a superb draughtsman and his work attracted attention from the first time he exhibited in a mixed show at the City Art Gallery. L.S.Lowry met him in 1965 and encouraged him. Pirelli General were lucky enough to be able to call on his talents as a cartoonist for their house magazine Cable.
Many of his works feature local scenes - the Swaythling houses feature in a large number of them. The First Gallery own a substantial part of his lesser oeuvre and not a few of his later more accomplished works and are selling those surplus to the requirement of keeping a representative collection in accessible places in a series of exhibitions (you will also view the ones they are keeping). The City Art Gallery also own some of the Meadus line drawings and show them as occasion and space permit. The first Bitterne exhibition was in Spring 1996 and a permanent Meadus alcove was set up when it was over.
	There are now five large Meadus collections, including one in Ireland and another in Brighton. The aim is to build Eric Meadus' posthumous reputation until he is as well-known as he deserved and to disperse a representative selection of his work onto the walls of art-lovers everywhere so that it may be enjoyed as he intended.