John Jeffs

Portrait bust of John W G Jeffs (1898 = 1962), actor and elder brother of the artist James G Jeffs.  The plaster bust shows a bearded man with long hair. In November 1938, Mr and Mrs Jeffs held an exhibition of their art and craftwok at their Yellow Door Studio, 41 English Street, Dumfries. Exhibits included the head of Jeffs brother John representing Gaspard the Miser in "Les Cloches".   The Jeffs were married on 18th February 1938 and their witnesses were artists E A Taylor and his wife Jessie M King. Jeffs was the assistant curator of Dumfries Burgh Museum at the time of his marriage to Marianne. She was the manageress of the Lyceum cinema cafe in Dumfries. Later they moved to Kirkcudbright. They had a home studio, the Yellow Door on the High Street. In 1989, when the property was sold, their family presented a large archive to Dumfries Museum, including this sculpture.