History

In August 1855 the following advertisement appeared in Auckland’s Southern Cross and in the New Zealander:

John Leech respectfully announces to the inhabitants of Auckland, that he has commenced business in High Street, opposite the Wesleyan Chapel as Carver, Gilder, Picture Framer and Looking Glass Manufacturer. Having had considerable experience in the above-named branches, he is quite confident of giving the most perfect satisfaction to those who might favour him with an order.

John Leech had emigrated from Manchester via Sydney to Auckland and after occupying business premises in High Street, Queen Street and Wellesley Street, he moved in 1866 to Shortland Street, considered then to be one of the best locations in town. The Shortland Street shop was also a dwelling place and a focus for artists such as Charles Goldie, Gustavus von Tempsky, Alfred Sharpe and J.B.C. Hoyte, who displayed their work in the shop window. The business of John Leech remained in these premises until 1963.

Following his death in 1879, the venture continued to flourish under the management of John’s son Harold, who was also known as John. It was during his lifetime that the business was granted the honour of using a royal crest which read ‘By Appointment to H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh, His Excellency Earl of Onslow, His Excellency Earl of Glasgow, His Excellency Earl of Ranfurly, His Excellency Lord Plunkett, His Excellency Lord Islington, His Excellency Earl of Liverpool, and His Excellency Lord Jellicoe’.

Harold Leech died in 1945 at the age of 87. In 1946 Allan Swinton, Gilbert Meadows and Howard Newcomb purchased the gallery. Then in 1959 Swinton took sole ownership of the business. In 1963 Swinton organised the move of the gallery to 10 Lorne Street, creating a specialist framing division and an exhibition gallery. Under his committed and passionate management the firm prospered but was forced to move in 1973 through the imminent demolition of the building to make way for Lorne Towers. New premises were established on Albert Street and the gallery continued to be well supported by the public and artists including Michael Smither, Garth Tapper, David Barker and Jan Nigro who held regular exhibitions.

In 1974, the Gallery was sold by Allan Swinton to a collector of maps and three years later, in 1978, it was purchased by Bev and Murray Gow and partner Bill Hart. In 1980 Murray also purchased the Dunham Gallery, Remuera and re-named it John Leech Gallery, Remuera. John Leech Gallery continued to also operate in the city until 1986 when the Albert Street lease expired upon the purchase of the building by the Chase Corporation. The city gallery was then moved to expanded premises in Remuera.

Murray and Beverley’s son John, who returned from England in 1981, managed the Gallery and business which continued to grow based on its earlier reputation. In 2002 it was relocated to its current location on Kitchener Street, only a block away from its origins in High Street, under partnership between Gary Langsford and John Gow. Here John Leech Gallery complemented the also co-owned Gow Langsford Gallery, which until recently was located in the same building.

In May 2008 John Leech Gallery relocated to what was previously the Gow Langsford Gallery premises with the Gow Langsford Gallery now in a brand new space at 26 Lorne Street.

John’s brother Douglas (ex-owner of the John Leech Framing Workshop in partnership with Tony Gibb), has recently started his own business based on a similar structure of supplying custom-making frames for selected clients.

More than 150 years after its establishment, John Leech Gallery continues to specialise in the sale of historical works by some of New Zealand's most significant artists and to develop its commitment to contemporary New Zealand artists such as Martin Ball, Justin Boroughs, Lyonel Grant, Michael Hight, Richard McWhannell, Patrick Reynolds, Sofia Tekela-Smith, Charlotte Graham, Peter James Smith, Te Kaha and John Walsh. Artists recently added to our stable include Liam Barr and Rodney Fumpston.