Simon Manchester Collection
SM Treasures
Photo Essay

Simon had a large archive of photographs, ephemera, catalogues, and publications. This image is one of 23 images of a photo essay completed in 2012 by Andrew Ross. The entire essay of works is held in Simon’s archive. This image shows Simon and his mother Judith in his Central Wellington apartment.

Simon was a friend to many potters and over the years became very close to Len Castle whose work he greatly admired. Simon collected over one hundred of Len’s works. The photograph of Simon with Len below was taken in 1997.

 

Simon with Len Castle

Simon lived on the top floor of his own apartment building in Central Wellington. Although the apartment was full of ceramics and his other collections, there was also a caged off area in the ground floor garage of the building which held a myriad of boxes overflowing with more works.

Many people remember Simon’s striking image striding around the Cuba Street area. He was good looking, tall, wore a long black coat in winter, or a black leather jacket, his hair in a pony-tail – he was instantly recognisable.

Rick Rudd
2019

Below are images of Simon’s apartment.

Simon Manchester

Simon only made one work in ceramics. At ten or eleven years old, what boy would not make a ‘dinosaur’!