Eve Garnett Mural

The Eve Garnett mural is the result of the work of three early 20th century social reformers: Eve Garnett (1900 – 1991), the artist; Muriel Lester (1883 – 1968) and her sister Doris Lester (1886 –1965). Muriel was an international peace campaigner, reformer and writer. She had a large following in the USA, was friends with Gandhi and other key figures of the early 20th century including Clement Attlee, George Lansbury, Lord Halifax, H.G. Wells and Eleanor Roosevelt. Her anti-war speeches led to her detention in Trinidad in 1941 and she had over 20 works published, including two autobiographies. From a wealthy background, sisters Muriel and Doris moved in 1908 to Bromley-by-Bow where they lived for 40 years providing social and educational activities for the poor. They established Kingsley Hall and then the first purpose-built 'Children's House' in London, designed according to the ideas of Maria Montessori, which opened in 1923. Part of the cost was raised by public subscription, using Doris’s slogan: “Nothing is too good for the children of Bow!” The school still has an outdoor classroom and garden on the roof.

The painting surface has a yellowed layer of aged and degraded varnish which is peeling away where scuffed or disturbed. The oil-based paint has also darkened in the last 80 years and at least 30% of the panels have been damaged by water, leaving lead salts under the varnish. There are several crudely executed patches on the surface possibly concealing drilled holes and some incisions across the canvas where bulges have been re-laid. Cables, pipes and electrical sockets in a random manner across the mural.

Restoration will include removal of the historic varnish with scalpels, removing over-paint, consolidating the surface, repairing the canvas, retouching the mural where there are losses, relocating cabling, pipes etc, and depending on the final appearance of the mural, replacing a low reflective matt surface coating.