Percy Robert Craft: Hevva Hevva, 1887

image courtesy of Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance

Percy Robert Craft (1856-1934) was born in Kent in 1856 and educated privately. He studied at Heatherley’s Art School and the Slade School of Fine Art in London. However, unlike his later artist colleagues, his art studies apparently did not take him to Antwerp or Paris , but he stayed in England, where he soon married. In 1885 he and his wife settled in Newlyn in Cornwall, where other painters such as Walter Langley and Stanhope Forbes had settled. An artists' colony had formed that became known as the Newlyn School. Craft lived in the same house with Stanhope Forbes during this time.

He was the organiser, inspiration and director of the Newlyn artists’ informal Dramatic Society and was an excellent actor. He also sang, gave recitals and wrote poetry and music. Craft was also closely involved in the formation of the Newlyn Industrial Class (who were responsible for the making of Newlyn Copper) and helped J. D. Mackenzie and F. W. Boudillion to run the Fisherman’s Rest.

Hevva Hevva translates into 'Here they are' which were shouted to alert the fishermen to launch the boats as shoals of fish were approaching. When a shoal of pilchards came into the bay, a lookout man on top of the cliff would signal to a huer, who would run through the streets shouting "Hevva, hevva". The villagers would then rush down to the shore to help the fishermen net the pilchards.

the above text appears on the back of the card
HC-1400: card size 7" x 5" (178mm x 127mm)