​James Lindsey Bird​

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In 1931, Lindsey won a travelling Scholarship to Italy, and was accompanied by his young wife. On his return a year later, he took up his first teaching post as Painting Master at Batley School of Art, where he took charge of drawing, painting and design classes.

In 1947, in the North Yorkshire fishing port of Whitby, Lindsey Bird married his second wife, May Edwards. Throughout the forties, most of his subject matter was taken from the striking landscapes around Darlington, from the Dales to the east coast. In 1952, now with two sons, the family moved to a larger house, where there was enough space for a studio. Here he painted many portraits, including past masters of the school. 1963 saw the visit of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother to the 400th Anniversary of the Grammar School. The following year Lindsey Bird was granted the honour of a portrait sitting with the Queen Mother in the drawing room at Clarence House. The resulting pastel sketch glows with the personality of the sitter, and the subsequent portrait in oils hung in the school for many years. After twenty years as Head of the Art Department, Lindsey retired to devote more time to his own work and to the running of Gallery 2. After suffering a stroke, he became frustrated at his inability to draw and paint, but eventually made a full recovery, aided greatly by a move to Scorton in North Yorkshire. Here he enjoyed the new stimulus of village life, and produced a variety of work including illustrated articles for 'The Dalesman', working constantly until his sudden death in 1972. He leaves a vast collection of drawings, sketches, watercolours and oil paintings.