LEICESTER GALLERIES
Leicester Galleries were established in 1902 off Leicester Square, London, by Cecil and Wilfred Phillips and the following year Ernest Brown joined the organisation, and they became Ernest Brown and Phillips Ltd, who operated as the Leicester Galleries. The Galleries were directed by Oliver Brown and ran important exhibitions of modern French and British painting from the time of John Lavery to that of Henry Moore, Robert Medley and Mark Gertler. Their summer exhibitions became an important feature of their annual calendar of events and during their long existence over 1,400 exhibitions of paintings, watercolours, drawings, sculpture, and prints were staged. Every exhibition was accompanied with a catalogue, many with prefaces by prominent writers. Exhibitors included Jacob Epstein, William Roberts, David Bomberg and Christopher Nevinson and such was the fame of the gallery that Camille Pissarro, Picasso and Henri Matisse were all given their first British solo exhibitions at the Galleries. The gallery moved from its original premises and was later located in South Audley Street and finally in Cork Street. The last exhibition held under the auspices of Leicester Galleries was held in July 1975. The name Leicester Galleries was acquired in 1984 by London art dealer Peter Nahum who now trades from premises in Mayfair as Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries.