Hyman Segal caricature drawings

We have been given a fascinating pair of caricature drawings by the well known artist Hyman Segal (1914-2004) whose Russian Jewish parents fled to London.

Reg Trezise of Water Lane by Hyman Segal
Reg Trezise of Water Lane by Hyman Segal

At the age of 12 Hyman won a scholarship to St Martin’s School of Art and went on to work for many big companies. After serving in Africa during the war he came to Cornwall, perhaps first to St Agnes, where we think he was involved with organising Art Therapy for TB patients at the nearby Sanatorium, before settling in St Ives. He enjoyed sketching local personalities in the public houses. Reg Trezise of Water Lane, with his cap and dog-headed cane, was very well known in St Agnes, and we understand that he brought back a walking stick from each of his visits to Canada and left them at the St Agnes Hotel.

However, there was also another sketch. This gentleman was thought to have been a regular visitor to St Agnes, possibly a schoolmaster, and undoubtedly a cricket fan, judging by the Wisden under his arm, but nobody was sure who he was. After an appeal for information, it seems that he was a George Morrison who, along with his brother Ken, holidayed in St Agnes. We believe that they both worked at a Public School, one as a Schoolmaster and the other as Bursar. George was, self evidently, quite large, while Ken was like a bean pole. They eventually retired to the Quay Flats and it is thought that they worked part-time for Jo Bates in the Ope, at Churchtown, possibly in the 1950s.

Hyman Segal
Caricature by Hyman Segal

 

It appears that their daily routine included walking up to the St Agnes Hotel every lunchtime for a half of bitter and lunch cooked by the landlady, Audrey Simmons, and calling in at the Peterville Inn, either on their way there or on their way back, to enjoy a drink with Alfie Bunt. Alfie’s daughter thinks that her father also had his caricature sketched by Segal but she does not know what happened to it. She does, however, recall that Alfie used to take the Morrisons all over Cornwall in his car since they didn’t have their own transport.

If anyone can fill in any gaps in our knowledge, we would be pleased to hear from you.