Paton Collection
From an early age, Barnes-based local historian Leslie Paton (1919-1993) had a great passion for collecting information, books and works of art.
After the Second World War, he extended his collection on Barnes to cover geographical areas further afield, including Richmond and Chiswick. One of his earliest memories was of a domed building in a park he later discovered was Chiswick House. A number of eighteenth century views of this and the surrounding area form part of the Paton Collection.
During his lifetime, Paton’s collection was exhibited at Orleans House Gallery in 1991. On his death in 1993, he generously bequeathed over 2,200 watercolours, drawings, prints and photographs to the borough and his collection of books to the Richmond Local Studies Collection.
