Family

John Henry, known by his family as JH, was the third of six children. The eldest was James, then came Hannah, JH, Alice, Louise and Robert. Their parents, Hannah Stodart and Professor James Lorimer, first met in 1848 on a ferry from Leith to Fife, home to the seaside towns and fishing villages where the Professor stayed each summer to ease his asthma. Little did they know that this chance meeting would lead to almost forty years of marriage and the restoration of Kellie Castle, a place that would likely be a ruin today had it not been for their determination to save it.

During the summer of 1878, when the 38-year lease for Kellie had been secured, the Lorimer family did what it could to contribute to its restoration, working alongside local builders and craftsmen. They stitched curtains and embroidered tapestries, planned and planted the garden, carved chairs and completed the watercolours and oil paintings that would one day hang in the Library or Great Hall.

Many pieces were made by the hand of the eldest daughter Hannah, an all-round artist whose nickname was Lorrie. Of all his brothers and sisters, Lorrie was the one JH seemed closest to. She modelled for several of his paintings, including his first double portrait. Further early portraits centred on his mother, father and younger brother Robert, who went on to become a renowned architect and furniture designer.

The Lorimers were a family that truly valued the arts. John Henry’s mother held a lifelong passion for music and attended painting lessons at the Edinburgh School of Design. She later studied geology and theology at the University of Edinburgh, where her husband James was Professor of Public Law. John Henry also enrolled at the University of Edinburgh but his parents gave him permission to leave before graduating to pursue a career in the arts.

The audioguide for Reflections: The light and life of John Henry Lorimer is presented and produced by the exhibition co-curator, Charlotte Lorimer. It includes the panels of text displayed in the exhibition, as well as dramatised readings of family letters and memoirs, performed by Clive Russell, George Lorimer, Ed Wade, Natasha Jobst and Sarah Haynes. The audioguide also includes twelve original poems by Christine de Luca. The exhibition runs from 6th November 2021 to 20th March 2022 at The City Art Centre in Edinburgh.