Friday 3 December 2021

Harry the Hammer & Friends (Part 1 - John Blanche)



I'm lucky enough to live within striking distance of Wargames Foundry, and was very pleased to visit the Harry the Hammer & Friends exhibition on it's opening day.

The exhibition runs to 12th December 2021 and comprises art from the private collection of Bryan and Diane Ansell. The exhibition features some iconic pieces from the early days of Citadel and Games Workshop by artists including John Blanche, Ian Miller and Wayne England. 

The pieces have been nicely hung in the newly converted Brewhouse at Stoke Hall, with plenty of room for viewing.




 I took loads of photos and figured the best way to split them was by artist!


So here are some images of the John Blanche pieces. Enjoy!

Harry the Hammer






And friends...





And a host of other John Blanche pieces:




























The exhibition runs until 12th December 2021. Check the link below for more details:




13 comments:

  1. Oh man, those are classic! Seeing them in person must have been inspiring!

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    1. The colour intensity, contrast and detail in person goes beyond anything you can get from seeing a printed copy. It was a real treat to see them!

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  2. Ooh, more there than I thought there might be. Including some classics! No Amazonia Gothique though? Also, they had a brewhouse? Why on earth would you convert it to anything else? I demand a reinstated brewhouse for BOYL next year! :D

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    1. I was surprised at how many there were too. Nice to see some early Blanche artwork that was pre-Citadel too. I reckon a Foundry-brewed Hammer Ale would be very popular!!

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  3. My favourite piece is the 70s dragon it’s such an amazing piece, your right seeing them in the flesh adds another dimension the colors and details are amazing, perks of the job working at foundry too it’s nice to see how the brew house has been done up and the exhibition get assembled

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    1. It must have been great to see the exhibition come together! I really love the dragon too - I wish there were more pictures of John's earlier work available.

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  4. I won't make it across the pond by the 12th... so thanks for sharing! Love seeing the old artwork.

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    1. No problem at all! Happy to share 🙂

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  5. Oh, my, what an unique opportunity! I'm so jealous! Thanks for sharing the pics!

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    1. Every time this kind of opportunity comes up, I do reflect on how fortunate I am to live in the cradle of the hobby! I know photos aren't the same as being there in person, but it's better than nothing!

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  6. So jealous mate! Those are the illustrations of my young teens. Would love to see them in person. O well, I love vicariously through you :)

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    1. I totally understand that level of envy, completely justified!

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