This temporary exhibition celebrates the work of local artist and civic leader John Dalzell Kenworthy (1858–1954). Kenworthy’s portraits bring to life the people of West Cumbria during the Edwardian period. Through faces and stories, visitors can explore everyday life, local leadership, and the impact of the First World War on families and communities.

The exhibition includes portraits of Mayors of Whitehaven, soldiers, and people from many walks of life, including religious leaders, engineers, doctors, and domestic servants. Digital displays of Kenworthy’s sketchbooks reveal how he worked and developed his ideas. The exhibition also features portraits created by local schoolchildren, shown alongside the museum’s collection to highlight how portrait-making continues today.

Putting Yourself in the Portrait

Pupils from St James’ C of E Junior School explored Kenworthy’s portraits and discovered that portraits can be realistic, imaginative, or abstract. Some children created textured self-portraits using cardboard, focusing on shape and proportion. Others made careful drawings from observation, studying their faces in mirrors. A third group produced bright, abstract portraits using bold shapes and limited colours. These lively works show that everyone can be a portrait artist, and that portraits are about capturing personality as well as appearance.