The paintings are in need of urgent repair.
The National Brewery Heritage Trust has launched a campaign to raise the money to restore two historic paintings with links to the early days of brewing in Burton
The portraits of William and Martha Worthington, members of the famous Burton brewing family, were recently bought at auction.
But the paintings and their frames will have to be restored as they are in poor condition, before they can be displayed at the National Brewery Centre museum in Burton.
Now the NBHT plans to raise to the money needed to restore them, which according to one expert, could cost several thousand pounds.
The oil canvas works are attributed to painter Richard Jones, a painter of some repute, and are thought to have been produced around 1820.
Currently, the frames are in Ashbourne and the pictures in Sheffield while they are assessed by art restoration experts.
The William in one of the pictures is the eldest son of William Worthington, who founded the Worthington brewery in 1760.
He took over the firm when his father died in 1800, and ran it with his wife Martha, who appears in the other portrait. He was also the grandfather of William H Worthington, the first Mayor of Burton.
Martha was the daughter of Henry Evans who started brewing in Burton in the 1750’s and rose to prominence as one of the town’s important commercial figures.
The damage to the picture frames is evident.
When William married Martha, in 1791, they acquired the brewery of John Walker Wilson from Henry Evans, and in 1819, after the death of Henry Evans, they also acquired his brewery, and adopted it as their main brewery.
NBHT Collections Sub Committee chairman Harry White said: “The pictures provide a unique link with Burton’s historic past and we now plan to raise the money needed to restore them so they can be put on display in the museum.
“The Worthington and Evans families played an important role in the development of Burton’s brewing industry and it only fitting that the portraits will now have a permanent home in Burton.”
Donation cheques should be made out to The National Brewery Heritage Trust (NBHT) and sent to the Treasurer, National Brewery Heritage Trust Ltd, Horninglow Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1NG.
