Artwork showcasing ‘rich history’ of Northampton installed in vacant town centre shop windows

A number of pieces of artwork have been installed in vacant Northampton town centre shops.

The murals, which display scenes from the town’s history, were originally designed by renowned theatrical designer Thomas Osborne Robinson and displayed in the Grosvenor Centre from 1976 to 1999.

They were subsequently presented to the University of Northampton on indefinite loan following the centre’s redevelopment in 1999.

Now the pieces have been brought back to life by Northampton town centre Business Improvement District (BID) as part of plans to enhance the visitor experience and improve the look of the town as more than 30 units currently stand empty.

Mark Mullen, BID operations manager, said: “The heritage and proud history of Northampton is something to be celebrated.

“It’s a brilliant place with a fascinating story to tell and we wanted to bring that story to life for visitors to the town centre.

“For many shoppers, Thomas Osborne Robinson’s mural was part and parcel of any visit to the Grosvenor Centre so we are thrilled to be bringing it back to the town centre in a new format, brightening up empty shop fronts and improving the look of our streets.

“The art trail, coupled with the Tidy Day planned for August 23, is further proof of our efforts to work together with businesses to get the town looking its best, helping to create an enhanced visitor experience and making the town centre an exciting option for new businesses looking to move into the area.”

The displays form an ‘art trail’ around the town centre, across six vacant units.

The trail has been funded by the BID in partnership with Grosvenor Shopping, as part of a campaign to improve the look and feel of the town’s main shopping streets.

The first vinyl, now in place in Bridge Street, commemorates the visit of Queen Elizabeth I in 1564 when she was presented with an embroidered purse.

Others show key moments in the town’s history such as the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675.

Osborne Robinson was a theatrical designer at Northampton’s Royal Theatre and his association with the Northampton School of Art began as a student in the 1920s and culminated in the donation of the Osborne Robinson Poster Collection, in the 1970s.

He began work on the Grosvenor Centre Mural, a series of 11 wooden panels depicting scenes from the history of Northampton, in 1973.

The eleventh panel was unfinished at the time of his death in 1976 and was completed by Alan Miller-Bunford.

If anyone has images of historical Northampton that they would like to share for the creation of future vinyls, email them to [email protected].