Local book wins national award

Published on 2 November 2011

Epping Forest District Council is joint winner for 2010 of the prestigious Alan Ball Local History Award for the best work of local history produced under the auspices of a local authority. The award is made by the Library Services Trust, part of CILIP, the professional body for those engaged in information work for work done by Epping Forest District Museum and the Loughton and District Historical Society (LDHS).

The award is for 'The Life and Art of Octavius Dixie Deacon' by Chris Pond and Richard Morris. Over a decade ago, the Museum purchased a number of sketchbooks by Deacon, a rather eccentric artist and publisher, who lived in Loughton from the 1870s to his death in 1916. The Museum has held two exhibitions of the paintings, which are mostly of scenes in and around Loughton, but lacked the resources to publish them itself.

In these days of co-operation between public bodies and the charitable sector, a joint project was agreed whereby the Museum would digitise the sketches and paintings, make them available free to the LDHS, who undertook to research Deacon’s life and work. They also undertook to write a comprehensive introduction and publish them in book form under its Alderton Press imprint at its own expense and at cost price. The book was designed by Ted Martin to the highest graphic standards and printed by the Lavenham Press.

Tony O’Connor, curator of Epping Forest District Museum, said: “This was a groundbreaking collaboration and I’m pleased to see its success recognised nationally."

Chris Pond, LDHS chairman, added: “I wonder what Octavius himself would have made of this award. From what we know of his outlook, I rather think it might be ‘Bah, humbug!’”