South Yorkshire Times February 1, 1947

Landscapes in Memory
Bedfast Mexborough Artist Keeps Bright His Remarkable Talents

In a ground floor room at 12 Woodfield Ave, Mexborough, surrounded by his own art and that of his son, Dennis, Mr Harry Myers paints, reads and works out theories in a bed where he has laid for 18 months.

Mr Myers, who was born in Cleveland, was the youngest of six boys. He studied art under Mr John Maddison, and Academy exhibitor, in Middlesbrough, but Mr Maddison died, and the brief period Mr Myers had under this painter was all the training he ever received.

Between his’s middle teens and his present age of 60, Mr Myers has been in two police forces, has been an ironstone  miner and a deputy in a call and iron mine, scenic painter for private companies, and salesman with various firms.

His last employment was at Baker and Bessemer, three years ago, making shells.

In Watercolour

During the 18 months he has been in bed, he has painted some beautiful pictures in watercolours, although his hands are very stiff through illness. Originally he painted in oils and in many porches, but latterly he has turned to watercolours of land and seascapes. Brilliant colouring is an outstanding feature of his work. He exhibited 11 pictures at the last Mexborough Arts Exhibition.

Before his illness, when Mr Myers worked at Denaby Colliery, he sustained two broken legs after a fall of the roof.

He came to Mexborough in 1909 from Seghill around which “The Stars Look Down” is written. He was employed at a colliery there. When he left he did not know where he was going. He wrote in a few names on slips of paper, including Doncaster, which he drew. From there they came to Mexborough and stayed. He was well known in the billiards and Snooker well in the early 20s. The ought five gold medals has been captain of teams in Durham, Cleveland and South Yorkshire, and has defeated many well-known players.

Mr Myers reads an average of five books a week – he claims to read between 3500 and 4,000 books – and his favourite author is JB Priestley. He never touches beer, does  a certain amount of conjuring, and he is very interested in, and can speak at some length, and astronomy, evolution and various religions. Among several theories he has worked out while in bed is the one of “recurring nines.”

As a point of interest, he says there is no one understands exactly 6 feet and that Christ was the only one who was ever that precise height.

“Packs his Bag Carefully.”

Of himself, Mr Myers denied that he was well educated, just well read.

During his life he has packed his bag with anything he could get hold of which might be of some use to him at some time or another. The well educated man, he said, looks ahead, specialises in one subject, and packs his bag very carefully.

Dennis, who is 28 and has recently been demobilised from the RAF in which he served 6 ½ years as a mechanic, also has great artistic talent. He has learned all he knows about art from his father. He has done a certain amount of landscape painting but specialises in still life. He is now a motor mechanic but turns artist, carver or modeller in his spare time.

By his father’s bed stands a heavy brass and copper clock which he made. They stand on a table with shelves and cupboards also handmade. On the other side against the wall stands a bureau which he made.

Mr Myers Jr has also done some exquisite fancy work in silks. He contributed this and seven paintings to the Mexborough Arts Exhibition.