Thomas Edwin Mostyn (1864-1930) - Torbay's greatest painter
Dr. Michael Rhodes
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £60, plus expenses.
- Category:
- Humanities
- Updated:
- 31st May 2025
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The artist Tom Mostyn settled in Torbay in 1918 at the end of World War I. He lived here with his wife until his death in 1930. Like the rest of the population, he was clearly traumatised by the suffering caused by the war. Some of his portraits penetrate to the souls of the sitters and the horrors they had witnessed. Others reflect upon the mysteries of life and death, or reveal insights of heaven. As well as painting expensive works to fund his family, Mostyn also encouraged the production of lithographs of his works, so he could share his works during the years of the Great Depression. With the centenary of Mostyn's death approaching, Torre Abbey is planning a major exhibition. This talk will preview some of the works to be included
Views: 28 | Enquiries: 0About Dr. Michael Rhodes
From 1974-1992 Dr. Michael Rhodes was "Finds Officer" for the Museum of London's Department of Urban Archaeology. Here he led a team of 50 archaeologists, responsible for the care and study of finds from City of London excavations.
From 1988 to 1992, he set up the Waterfront Finds Museum - part of the Tower Hill Pageant. This won the Museum of the Year award in 1993.
Dr. Rhodes moved to Devon in 1992, to become The Head of Museum Services for Torbay Council. His main responsibility was for Torre Abbey, a Grade I listed building in need of major repair. He made two successful Lottery bids, which led to grants worth £8.5m, enabling the building to be saved and redisplayed. In 2015 he published the award-winning book "Devon's Torre Abbey: Faith, Politics and Grand Designs" (History Press 2015).
From 1999-2003 he chaired the Devon Museums Group, organising four annual conferences for museum professionals in Devon. He also undertook four consultancies on archaeology and heritage for the Hong Kong government.
Advice to Hosts: "All my talks are based on original research, most of which has been peer-review and published. I always tailor my talks to my audience, so they are not overly academic. To ensure I can concentrate on the talk, I ask my hosts to provide a screen and a Powerpoint projector."
Other Talks on SpeakerNet by Dr. Michael Rhodes
- Medieval Spectacles
- Devon's Torre Abbey - the rediscovery and renewal of a national monument
- A Curator's Challenge - reshaping Torre Abbey's collections
- From Scotland to Jamaica - the Planter's experiences
- Charles Roach Smith (1806-1890) and the discovery of the Anglo-Saxons
- Charles Roach Smith (1806-90) and the first Museum of London
- South Devon's secret Catholics
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