LGBTQ+

Hertford Museum holds large collections of works by two prominent LGBTQ+ Hertford artists.

Ronald Wright (1928 – 2020)

Ronald Wright was a pioneering illustrator, submitting work in the 1950s to “Men’s interest” magazines. A prison sentence in 1961 ended his career in print, but he continued to sell images around the world by mail order. After prison, when no gay magazine dared hire him, Ron reinvented himself as London’s leading life model, a cabaret artist, author and became a noted spiritualist healer. A fabulous storyteller, Ron spent his final decades, both delighting and educating younger generations with stories of his experiences and became a sought-after speaker and radio guest. He continued to draw until the end of his life.

John Godden (1930-1999)

John Godden never went to art school which he once regretted, but later expressed that it may have been to his advantage, as he was “never indoctrinated with academic rules about what might and might not have been done in paint.” His day job as a librarian in central London allowed him time to explore his love of painting and he worked from photographs. His interest was drawn by buildings, “especially those which have had time to mature and develop interesting textures.” During the 1960s, John painted many portraits of gay men in provocative poses, including some scenes of sadomasochistic gatherings. John exhibited multiple works at the Royal Academy and was selected to feature in their touring show of Japan in 1987. He took early retirement, moving out of North London in 1985, to Dimsdale Street in Hertford, a town full of weathered buildings.

You can discover more works by John Godden at https://johngodden.weebly.com/