Lowry painting of Berwick recreated live in same spot

The Estate of LS Lowry/Charlotte Payn On the right side a Lowry painting of Bridge Street in Berwick with the traditional matchstick men and dogs. On the right a modern recreation of it with people dressed in the same way and standing in similar positions — LS Lowry: Bridge Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1938. All rights reserved DACS 2024

People have dressed as characters in an LS Lowry painting to recreate a scene he captured in 1938.

The artist was a frequent visitor to Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, where an exhibition of his work is being held at the Granary Gallery until October.

One of his paintings is of Bridge Street, which has changed very little over the last eight decades.

The recreation was the idea of Jonathan Macfarlane, who has a business there. He said: “Everyone had a great time and it was just an amazing community event.”

Lowry, who died in 1976, is known for his depictions of working-class life in the industrial parts of northern England.

Karen Page, Val Knowles and Michael Shepherd run a bed and breakfast in Berwick and said lots of their guests had come to see the Lowry exhibition

Charlotte Payn/The Maltings (Berwick) Trust Three people standing in the doorway. The woman to the left is wearing a red hat, the woman in the centre has a black hat and the man on the end has a grey cap. — Karen Page, Val Knowles and Michael Shepherd run a bed and breakfast in Berwick and said lots of their guests had come to see the Lowry exhibition

“So many people made the effort to dress up just like the people in that 1938 painting,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“We had lots of dogs, it was just such a huge success.

“It just shows what a community can do with a little inspiration.”

Bridge Street has remained largely unchanged in the decades since Lowry painted it

Charlotte Payn/The Maltings (Berwick) Trust A picture of about 50 or 60 people all dressed in 1930s clothing at the base of Bridge Street in Berwick — Bridge Street has remained largely unchanged in the decades since Lowry painted it

Among the 100 or so people who took part was Ian Leech, who said: “I used to have a Lowry print hanging on my wall and this seemed like great chance to be in one of his paintings.”

Student Jack Brodie added: “I’m doing history, so I was really interested in seeing how this historical painting would be recreated.”