The Harold Riley Collection

Born in Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, on 23 June 1929.

He had both Indian and African heritage. Adams was born into a divided South Africa, resulting in him being denied a formal arts education. 

In 1953, he moved to London to complete a scholarship at Slade School of Art. There, he met Harold Riley. Adams stayed with Riley’s family in Salford during the Christmas period. Eventually, Adams decided to stay in London, teaching at schools and colleges.

Adams gained a legacy as one of the most important and gifted expressionist painters from South Africa in the 20th century. 

He passed away on 31 December 2006 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Born in Salford on 9 May 1936.

Finney attended Salford Grammar School alongside Harold Riley, becoming friends. He won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After some roles in theatre, he appeared in his first film “The Entertainer” in 1960. 

He also starred in a movie called “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”, earning him a BAFTA nomination for Best British Actor.

Finney had a successful career. He received 53 total nominations, five of which were Oscar nominations, with 28 wins. 

He passed away on 7 February 2019.

Born in Gillespie, Illinois in 1919.

Howard Keel was an American-born actor, moving to California at a young age. He had a good voice, but was inspired to sing professionally while attending a Hollywood Bowl concert. 

He was discovered in 1946 by the theatre business, securing many roles in theatre productions. Keel was noticed and offered the role in his first musical, “Annie Get Your Gun” in 1950. One of his most famous roles was in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” in 1954.

His love for movie musicals ran out, returning to his musical roots in the 1970s. Unexpectedly, Keel gained popularity again by starring in the nighttime soap drama “Dallas”. 

He held a fondness for Manchester, performing his last concert in The Lowry at Salford Quays. This concert benefitted The Riley Archive, which was set up by Harold Riley, a close friend for many years.

Born in Stretford on 1 November 1887.

Despite the difficult times that Lowry faced, he used parts of his income to pursue his childhood love, art. While attending Royal Technical College, the surrounding of Peel Park appeared regularly in Lowry’s work. 

Throughout the 1920s, Lowry continued to develop his work, finding interesting scenes in the local area. By 1930, he had held his first one-man exhibition in Manchester, displaying the Ancoats area. In 1939, he held a one-man exhibition in London’s Lefevre gallery. 

Lowry enjoyed an extravagant career. He died on 23 February 1976 of pneumonia. 

The Lowry, located in Salford Quays, opened on 28 April 2000 and was named after the artist.

Born in Orbiston, Scotland on 26 May 1909.

His father died during the First World War and his mother requested to emigrate to America in 1927 as a result. Busby intended to go with her, but started playing part-time football for Denny Hibernians.

He signed a professional contract with Manchester City. Making appearances for both Manchester City and Liverpool, Busby solidified himself as a talented player. With the outbreak of World War Two, he signed up for the military, ending his playing career.

In 1945, he became manager for Manchester United. During this time, he saw great successes, winning the FA Cup and European Cup. However, on 6 February 1958, an aircraft carrying the Manchester United team crashed at Munich airport. 24 people passed away and Busby sustained injuries. He retired from the role in 1971 but continued with the club for some years. 

Busby passed away on 20 January 1994. Harold Riley performed his eulogy at the funeral.

Born in Belford on 28 February 1908. 

He attended many schools between the ages of 5 and 12, during World War One. 

His father, George, wanted Coldstream to go into medicine and placed him in a position to do so. However, with the influence of others, he entered Slade School of Arts on 12 April 1926.

In 1934, after financial struggles, Coldstream declared he was finished with art. He got a job to sustain his wife, Nancy Sharp, and his daughter, Juliet. He continued to paint however, leading to his return to full-time painting in 1937.

In the same year, Coldstream, alongside others, founded Euston Road School. This was a school for drawing and painting. With the breakout of World War Two, Coldstream enlisted to serve in the army, taking him to foreign countries. This resulted in his split with his wife.

He returned to London in 1945, taking up a position at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts. After achieving the Head of Painting there in 1948, Coldstream took up the position of Slade Professor of Fine Art. During this time, he acted as a mentor to a young Harold Riley, who attended Slade. This position led to many more. He received a knighthood in 1956.

As a slow worker, Coldstream could not produce many works a year. 

He retired from Slade in 1975 and passed away on 18 February 1987.

Commonly referred to as ‘Chimney Pot Park’ by locals. The park is located in Salford. 

Built on the site of a reservoir, it lies on the crossroads of Langworthy Road and Liverpool Street. It gained the name of ‘Chimney Pot Park’ due to it being raised, allowing visitors to see the surrounding chimney pots.

The school opened in 1904 as the Salford Municipal Secondary School for Boys, located at the Salford Royal Technical Institute. In 1932, it became Salford Grammar School. A separate building for the school opened in Leaf Square in July 1914. However, the outbreak of World War One resulted in the school waiting until March 1920 to use it.

In 1937, Salford Education Committee acquired the house and grounds of Claremont. In March 1953, the construction of a new school on the Claremont site began. Pupils moved from the Leaf Square site into the new building on Eccles Old Road on 12 January 1956. The new school was officially opened on 21 March 1956.

Demolition of the old school building commenced in 1964. The new Salford College of Technology opened on the site in 1965. On 1 September 1969, Salford Grammar School and Salford Technical High School merged to form Salford Grammar Technical School. In 1973, Salford Grammar Technical School and Pendleton High School for Girls merged to form Buile Hill High School.

In 1849, Lark Hill Mansion was allowed to be used as an educational site, with plans to make it into a public museum and library. It opened in January 1850 under the name of the Royal Museum and Public Library. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were the first patrons of this site. Today, the site lies on Peel Park and remains a museum and library, adding more to their collections.

Slade was founded in 1871. It represented an image of a school where study of fine arts should take place. Slade was unique in offering women education on equal terms as men, having an essential role in introducing women to UCL. In 1949, Sir William Coldstream would be appointed as the Slade Professor, lasting until 1975. Today, it remains at the forefront of developments in contemporary art.