Lowry was born in Manchester, where he took private painting classes before working in a firm of chartered accountants in 1904. He studied at the local Municipal College of Art from 1905 to 1915, continuing his studies at various institutions until 1928. In 1910 he moved to Salford where he worked as a rent collector until his retirement in 1952. Intensely disliking the notion of being an ‘amateur’ artist, Lowry kept his day job a secret for over forty years.
Lowry did not receive public recognition until late in life. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1932, becoming a full member in 1962. In 1958 the permanent Lowry Gallery was set up at Salford Art Gallery and in the following year, a retrospective was held at Manchester City Art Gallery. After his death in 1976, a major retrospective of his work was held at the Royal Academy in London. In 2000 the Lowry Arts Centre opened in Salford Quays, Manchester, which houses both a permanent collection of Lowry’s work and holds temporary public exhibitions.
