A blue plaque has been unveiled to commemorate the iron founder and patron of the arts, Daniel Wade Acraman (1775-1847).
On 17th February 2017 around 40 people gathered on the quayside at Arnolfini for the ceremony. Acraman was responsible for building the Acraman Warehouse in 1831, a building which today houses the Arnolfini. Speakers included the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Jeff Lovell; Bill Marshall, Pro Vice-Chancellor, UWE; Francis Greenacre, art historian, lecturer and author; Helen Davies, Interim Chief Executive, Arnolfini and Wendy Shepherd, great-great-grand-daughter of Daniel Wade Acraman.
We learned that Acraman had an iron foundry at Bathurst Basin and he supplied Brunel with iron work, anchors and chains for the SS Great Western. He also supported the Bristol School of Artists, buying paintings by Rippingille, Johnson, Muller, Poole and Danby.
After the unveiling we gathered in the Arnolfini for light refreshments and to view an exhibition of the Acraman lineage put together by Daniel Wade Acraman’s descendants.
Gordon Young
