
Ceramicist Rik Berry has donated a Henry Freeman sculpture to Whitby RNLI Museum
The bust will be on display permanently at the newly refurbished museum.
Neil Williamson, curator of the museum said: 'We are delighted to house this remarkable piece of artwork at the museum. Henry Freeman is a big part of Whitby's lifeboating history, being the only surviving crew member in the 1861 lifeboat disaster, due to the fact he was the only one wearing a cork life jacket.'
'The bust of Henry Freeman, based on his portraits, captures him perfectly and really brings the character to life. It is full of detail and expression and will sit proudly amongst the other artefacts in the museum that piece together the RNLI's history in Whitby.'
Whitby's current Coxswain of the lifeboat, Howard Fields was also there to meet Rik and said: 'Thank you to Rik for his kind donation, it is a beautiful piece of artwork that we are proud to have on display, it is sure to capture the attention of our visitors.'
The bust will remain on display in the Henry Freeman/1861 cabinet of the museum, you can see more of Rik's artwork at @rikberryceramics on Instagram.
For more information contact Lifeboat Press Officer Ceri Oakes on 07813359428 or at [email protected]
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