Appeals

Ben Read Memorial Appeal

Ben Read (1945-2016) - Memorial Appeal

Photograph of Ben Read in a restaurant near the coat on a sunny day

Ben Read. Photograph courtesy of Michael Paraskos

Photo of the memorial to Queen Victoria which is a short plinth with the monarch seated at the top
Sir George Frampton's Memorial to Queen Victoria (1903)
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The Leeds Art Fund Ben Read Appeal, in memory of our former Chair, Ben Read has reached its target to raise funds to conserve, restore and reinstate the dislodged figure of Industry from Sir George Frampton’s monumental sculpture of Queen Victoria, located on the edge of Woodhouse Moor; something that we believe is a fitting tribute to Ben as one of the leading scholars of Victorian Sculpture.

Here is ‘Industry’ making its way to London for restoration and conservation – thanks to Rupert Harris Conservation Limited for sharing these photographs. We hope to share further updates on the progress of the Ben Read Memorial Project in the coming months.

Two men in high visibility jackets attach the statue of Queen Victoria to a crane
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A crane, operated by a man in a high visibility jacket, loads the statue of Queen Victoria onto the back of a lorry
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The statue of Queen Victoria is secured to the back of a lorry for transport
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Please keep your eyes on the Ben Read Appeal in the LAF News; we are planning a number of events and talks associated with the Appeal - and we very much hope to welcome our donors to these events.

In the meantime, thank you everyone who has contributed to the Ben Read Appeal; we could not have done this without the very generous help and support of the LAF Membership, the Friends of Leeds City Museums, Leeds City Council as well as a number of individuals who also donated funds towards the Ben Read Appeal.

Thank you so much to all who have donated funds towards the Ben Read Appeal.

  • Jim Fox
  • Mrs E A Lightman
  • James Lomax
  • Ronnie Duncan
  • R. John Cruse
  • Mr P. Sumner
  • Mark Westgarth
  • Martin Staniforth Gill Eastabrook
  • Dilys Welch
  • Peter Hirschmann
  • Dr Rebecca Wade
  • Glady Strawbridge
  • Martin Arnold
  • Garance Rawinsky
  • Prof J G Rushton
  • Alastair Grieve
  • J.R. Paget
  • Warren Smith, Mary Smith
  • Elizabeth Bennett
  • Simon Bradley
  • Halifax Charitable Trust
  • Dr D W Budworth
  • Miss P. M. Long
  • Michael Manser
  • Sir Roy Meadow
  • Stephen Croad
  • Jerry Thorp
  • Peter Howell
  • John Irving
  • Christopher Willey
  • David Walker
  • Sue Page
  • Adam White
  • D. Colin Dews
  • Jane Wainwright
  • J Harris
  • P Chadwick
  • Joyce Russell
  • Mike Davies
  • Ian Anderson
  • Eric Fernie
  • Helen Bell (Beale)
  • Timothy Stevens
  • T. Bendixson
  • John Nicholl
  • D. Joiner
  • Mark Jones
  • Mr M S Brown
  • Kenneth Powell
  • Malcolm Lynch
  • Andrew Saint
  • Ann Sumner
  • Charlotte Parsons
  • Sylvia Thompson
  • Fr Ross Bullock
  • PMSA
  • Elizabeth Minkin
  • Dr Miranda Mason
  • Dr Jeffrey Sherwin
  • Mrs G. M. Roche
  • Dr Alastair Grieve
  • Mahdi El-Hassani
  • Gerry Coughlan