Frederick Firth

Frederick Firth (1914 - 1976) was a Lancastrian who was head of art at Ramsey Grammar School from the early 1950s to his retirement in 1974. He was universally known as Freddie.

Firth was a highly accomplished artist himself. He is well remembered here, considered one of the great Manx landscape painters.

Surprisingly little seems to be known of Freddie Firth or his artistic output. As far as we know there is no catalogue of his work.

It seems that Firth only did landscapes, using oil on board or canvas. His best-known works are Manx scenes, which he painted in situ, framed himself, and sold locally.  

Many of them are still here, including this masterpiece:

painting

The name of the work and its location are not known. We know it was by Freddie Firth because it was purchased from him in 1973.

Very few of the paintings we have seen are signed. There is speculation that he put initials and a date on an undercoat, right on the lower right corner, before painting over them.

Frederick Firth is buried under a simple headstone in Maughold graveyard, half a mile from Ballakilley Beg.