H.W. SIMISTER (fl. 1904-1940) DESIGNS FOR THE WAR MEMORIAL, COVENTRY charcoal, watercolour and gouache 96 x 53cm Provenance: Abbott & Holder, May, 2008 There are the following inscriptions in red crayon, faded: CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF COVENTRY/ PROPOSED WAR MEMORIAL, STYVECHALE PARK CROWNING FIGURE OF ST GEORGE / trampling on the dragon and carrying a child TYPIFIYING THE NEW WORLD/ The Mothers of England/ SUGGESTED INSCRIPTION/TO THE MOTHERS OF ENGLAND/ WHO SUFFERED IN SILENCE / AND WATERED THE FLOWER/ OF FREEDOM WITH THEIR TEARS/ ARMS OF UNITED KINGDON & ALLIES IN SUITABLE POSITION ON THIS STAGE The Saints of PEACE ST FRANCIS/ST PATRICK/ST LOUIS/ST ANDREW/ST DAVID/ST NICHOLAS/ST JOAN/ST MARY FIGURE OF PEACE WITH CHILDREN A competition was set up to design the War Memorial. This was won by architect Thomas Tickner and the Memorial was built in 1927; it is a modernist tower around 90 feet high. This is Simister's entry for that competition. He was an architect based in Birmingham, who also worked in Coventry. His best-known building, with Edward Garret, is the Coventry Council Hall. (2)