When Harlow New Town was designated on 25 March 1947, few could have predicted that this planned community in Essex would eventually house one of Britain's most significant public art collections. More than seven decades later, the town boasts over 60 documented sculptures by internationally renowned artists, earning its official designation as "Harlow Sculpture Town" in 2009.
The Vision of Frederick Gibberd
The foundation of Harlow's sculpture heritage lies in the vision of Sir Frederick Gibberd, the architect and town planner who created Harlow's masterplan in 1947. Gibberd believed that art should not be confined to galleries but integrated into the daily lives of residents. In the 1950s, he established the Harlow Art Trust to acquire and display public sculpture throughout the town.
Working alongside Sir Philip Hendy, then Director of the National Gallery, Gibberd secured works that would have been unattainable for most local authorities. Their collaboration brought masterpieces to Harlow that today would command museum-quality status anywhere in the world.
Masterpieces in Public Spaces
Harlow's collection includes works by some of the most celebrated sculptors of the twentieth century. Henry Moore's "Family Group," commissioned in 1954 and unveiled on 17 May 1956, stands as one of the artist's first major public commissions. The bronze was originally displayed outside the Harlow Playhouse before weathering necessitated its relocation indoors to the Civic Centre foyer.
Auguste Rodin's "Eve" (1882), acquired from the MusΓ©e Rodin in 1960, sits in the Water Gardens as testament to the Trust's ambitious acquisition policy. Elisabeth Frink's "Wild Boar" (1970), a Grade II listed bronze, shares the Water Gardens with Henry Moore's "Upright Motive No. 2" (1955-56), creating an outdoor gallery of international significance.
Barbara Hepworth's "Contrapunctal Forms" (1951), originally created for the Festival of Britain and resited to Harlow in 1953, is another Grade II listed work. The collection extends to pieces by Lynn Chadwick, F.E. McWilliam, Ralph Brown and numerous other significant British sculptors.
Democratic Access to Art
The placement of these works reflects Gibberd's belief in democratic access to art. Sculptures appear in shopping centres, housing estates and public squares rather than being confined to museums. The Water Gardens themselves, listed by English Heritage, serve as a focal point for the town's artistic heritage, featuring William Mitchell's 1963 concrete reliefs alongside major sculptural works.
This approach created what the BBC described in 2005 as "one of the most exceptional sculpture collections of any town in Britain." The Art Newspaper characterised Harlow in 2020 as "Essex's unlikely sculpture town," acknowledging both the quality of the collection and its unexpected location.
Gibberd Garden: A Personal Legacy
Beyond the public collection, Sir Frederick Gibberd's personal contribution to Harlow's artistic landscape continues at the Gibberd Garden. Created by Gibberd and his wife Patricia from 1972 until his death in 1984, the Grade II listed garden spans more than nine acres of landscaped grounds containing an eclectic collection of sculptures and architectural elements. The garden, now owned by the Gibberd Garden Trust, opens to the public on Wednesdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from April to October.
Official Recognition
On 26 March 2009, Harlow Council voted to approve the Harlow Art Trust's proposal to rebrand the town as "Harlow Sculpture Town." The designation, intended to emulate Hay-on-Wye's reputation as "Booktown," appears on council and tourist publications. The Trust aims to make Harlow as readily associated with sculpture as its Welsh counterpart is with literature.
The Gibberd Gallery
The Gibberd Gallery, located at the Civic Centre in the Water Gardens, houses both the town's sculpture collection and the Sir Frederick Gibberd 20th Century Watercolour Collection. Harlow Art Trust has operated the gallery since 2011, when it took over management from Harlow Council. The space serves as a focal point for understanding the town's artistic heritage and contemporary sculpture programming.
Preserving the Legacy
The challenges of maintaining outdoor sculpture in the British climate have necessitated careful preservation efforts. Several works, including Moore's "Family Group," have been moved indoors to protect them from further weathering. Meanwhile, the Harlow Art Trust continues to commission new works, ensuring the collection remains contemporary as well as historical.
The sculptures have become, as one commentator noted, as much a part of Harlow's social history and human geography as its housing and public buildings. For residents, walking past a Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth on the way to the shops is simply part of daily life; for visitors, it remains a startling discovery in an otherwise unremarkable Essex town.