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Frank Owen Salisbury Project 

The goal of the project was to revive the almost forgotten legacy of Harpenden's most successful artist, Francis (Frank) Owen Salisbury (1874-1962). We wanted to make local residents aware of his achievements and provide a heritage trail of places associated with his life. 

We started the project in late 2023. It was propelled by the return of Frank’s great-niece Angela Glyn Davies to Harpenden where she had been born and brought up. Her recollections and family knowledge informed the project. 

We have created a PowerPoint presentation, a portable display of photos of his work plus other memorabilia, and a 'trail’ guide to the Harpenden houses he lived in, his grave, his stained-glass work and mural in local churches, and the few reproductions of his paintings that can be seen locally, see below.   https://www.tashe.org.uk/DocumentStore/Frank%20Salisbury%20v6%20full%2024.04.25.pdf   We have captured from Angela an oral history of her memories of the Salisbury family in her day. This is illustrated with some Harpenden scenes from his early life.

Why was Frank a celebrity in his day?

In the first half of the 20th century, Frank was the ‘painter laureate’, demanded by royalty (King George V and VI), prime ministers (including Churchill – 11 times!), captains of industry and military personnel from generals to foot soldiers. He entertained George V and Queen Mary at his house. 

He was commissioned to paint great public events including coronations, Jubilees, wartime panoramas, and the burial of the unknown warrior. These magnificent showpiece paintings now reside in palaces and institutions such as the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, the Foreign Office and the Royal Exchange: places it’s difficult to get to. However he presented signed prints of two of them to Harpenden’s then Urban District Council, and they hang in the town hall offices where they can be seen on request.

He also became the portraitist of choice in north America. He spent many months over a period of years in Chicago, New York and Washington. He painted 5 US Presidents, including Roosevelt (whose portrait remained hanging in the Oval Office for many decades), and the grandees of US business including John D Rockefeller and J P Morgan. Click on this link to see some of his pictures

He was a skilled stained-glass artist, having been apprenticed from the age of 15 to his brother who ran a stained-glass workshop in St Albans. His windows can be seen in the Methodist church and the chapel in the Oval (a children’s home in his day) in Harpenden as well as in many other churches in England including four in Wesley’s Chapel in London. Click on this link to see some of his local legacy of stained glass

Information sources

In addition to Angela, we were assisted by the Harpenden Local History Society which has substantial records, such as newspaper cuttings, copies of some of his pictures, and significant information about the wider Salisbury family who made a considerable contribution to Harpenden life for over a century. Frank’s biographer Nigel McMurray also collaborated enthusiastically in the project, while Frank left a highly readable autobiography, with many personal observations on his beliefs, his sitters and his career. 

The presentation

This was first delivered at the opening of the Local History Society’s new museum in April 2024. A further milestone was achieved when we presented it in the local Methodist Church Hall, to an audience that included Frank’s grandson and great-granddaughters whom we discovered thanks to the copyright permission process. The occasion was also the first meeting between the cousins - Angela (Frank’s great-niece) and Richard (Frank’s grandson). Richard has subsequently died, so the meeting was timely indeed.

The presentation has been delivered to several local audiences including a members’ meeting of the local history society, and a variant is to be given at TASHE’s Christmas 2025 event at Rothamsted Manor.

Displaying Frank’s Work

Most of Frank’s work is invisible to the public, as it usually remained with the sitter in the case of portraits, or in the institution that commissioned the large pageant works.  At least 5 of his portraits are usually on display at the National Portrait Gallery, including Edward VIII as Prince of Wales, and Lord Viscount Mongomery.   

However Frank’s estate has granted us copyright permission, and the chasing of images through various image owners (including the V&A, the National Portrait Gallery and Bridgman) has enabled us to mount the display which accompanies the presentation. Copyright permission cost on average £100 per image. It was only with the help of a generous grant from The Arts Society that we were able to fund the expense.

The Trail

The pictorial trail guide has been distributed at the presentations and is available from TASHE and from the local history museum. It provides a brief but informative illustrated introduction to Frank’s life story.

The Outcomes

The community has benefited as hundreds of residents will have seen the presentation and the display in 2024 and many more in 2025.

As a society, we have collaborated closely with the Local History Society, to the benefit of both. 

We believe Salisbury's family have benefited too, having visited Harpenden, attended the presentation, seen the display and offered their future support. Angela and her cousin Richard met for the first – and sadly, only time - on that occasion. Richard and his twin daughters (Frank’s great granddaughters) were very touched to see Frank’s early homes and his stained-glass work and mural in Harpenden’s churches.

Frank Owen Salisbury Project 

The goal of the project was to revive the almost forgotten legacy of Harpenden's most successful artist, Francis (Frank) Owen Salisbury (1874-1962). We wanted to make local residents aware of his achievements and provide a heritage trail of places associated with his life. 

We started the project in late 2023. It was propelled by the return of Frank’s great-niece Angela Glyn Davies to Harpenden where she had been born and brought up. Her recollections and family knowledge informed the project. 

We have created a PowerPoint presentation, a portable display of photos of his work plus other memorabilia, and a 'trail’ guide to the Harpenden houses he lived in, his grave, his stained-glass work and mural in local churches, and the few reproductions of his paintings that can be seen locally, see below.   https://www.tashe.org.uk/DocumentStore/Frank%20Salisbury%20v6%20full%2024.04.25.pdf   We have captured from Angela an oral history of her memories of the Salisbury family in her day. This is illustrated with some Harpenden scenes from his early life.

Why was Frank a celebrity in his day?

In the first half of the 20th century, Frank was the ‘painter laureate’, demanded by royalty (King George V and VI), prime ministers (including Churchill – 11 times!), captains of industry and military personnel from generals to foot soldiers. He entertained George V and Queen Mary at his house. 

He was commissioned to paint great public events including coronations, Jubilees, wartime panoramas, and the burial of the unknown warrior. These magnificent showpiece paintings now reside in palaces and institutions such as the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, the Foreign Office and the Royal Exchange: places it’s difficult to get to. However he presented signed prints of two of them to Harpenden’s then Urban District Council, and they hang in the town hall offices where they can be seen on request.

He also became the portraitist of choice in north America. He spent many months over a period of years in Chicago, New York and Washington. He painted 5 US Presidents, including Roosevelt (whose portrait remained hanging in the Oval Office for many decades), and the grandees of US business including John D Rockefeller and J P Morgan. Click on this link to see some of his pictures

He was a skilled stained-glass artist, having been apprenticed from the age of 15 to his brother who ran a stained-glass workshop in St Albans. His windows can be seen in the Methodist church and the chapel in the Oval (a children’s home in his day) in Harpenden as well as in many other churches in England including four in Wesley’s Chapel in London. Click on this link to see some of his local legacy of stained glass

Information sources

In addition to Angela, we were assisted by the Harpenden Local History Society which has substantial records, such as newspaper cuttings, copies of some of his pictures, and significant information about the wider Salisbury family who made a considerable contribution to Harpenden life for over a century. Frank’s biographer Nigel McMurray also collaborated enthusiastically in the project, while Frank left a highly readable autobiography, with many personal observations on his beliefs, his sitters and his career. 

The presentation

This was first delivered at the opening of the Local History Society’s new museum in April 2024. A further milestone was achieved when we presented it in the local Methodist Church Hall, to an audience that included Frank’s grandson and great-granddaughters whom we discovered thanks to the copyright permission process. The occasion was also the first meeting between the cousins - Angela (Frank’s great-niece) and Richard (Frank’s grandson). Richard has subsequently died, so the meeting was timely indeed.

The presentation has been delivered to several local audiences including a members’ meeting of the local history society, and a variant is to be given at TASHE’s Christmas 2025 event at Rothamsted Manor.

Displaying Frank’s Work

Most of Frank’s work is invisible to the public, as it usually remained with the sitter in the case of portraits, or in the institution that commissioned the large pageant works.  At least 5 of his portraits are usually on display at the National Portrait Gallery, including Edward VIII as Prince of Wales, and Lord Viscount Mongomery.   

However Frank’s estate has granted us copyright permission, and the chasing of images through various image owners (including the V&A, the National Portrait Gallery and Bridgman) has enabled us to mount the display which accompanies the presentation. Copyright permission cost on average £100 per image. It was only with the help of a generous grant from The Arts Society that we were able to fund the expense.

The Trail

The pictorial trail guide has been distributed at the presentations and is available from TASHE and from the local history museum. It provides a brief but informative illustrated introduction to Frank’s life story.

The Outcomes

The community has benefited as hundreds of residents will have seen the presentation and the display in 2024 and many more in 2025.

As a society, we have collaborated closely with the Local History Society, to the benefit of both. 

We believe Salisbury's family have benefited too, having visited Harpenden, attended the presentation, seen the display and offered their future support. Angela and her cousin Richard met for the first – and sadly, only time - on that occasion. Richard and his twin daughters (Frank’s great granddaughters) were very touched to see Frank’s early homes and his stained-glass work and mural in Harpenden’s churches.