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The exhibition, which will run from Wednesday 23 July to Sunday 2 November, will explore the legacy of two local men: Bob Rhodes, a local artist who captured the spirit and beauty of the Ironbridge Gorge in his stylistic paintings, and Captain Matthew Webb, who made history as the first person to swim the English Channel.
Bob Rhodes (1946–2017), a talented artist from Sheffield, moved to Ironbridge in 1978, and lived and worked in the Gorge for nearly four decades. The exhibition will feature 40 of his paintings, which have been bequeathed to the Trust, a heritage conservation and education charity. His paintings offer an extraordinary visual record of the landscape, architecture and identity of Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale, and provide a unique perspective on the Gorge’s post-industrial heritage.
The exhibition will also tell the story of local man Captain Matthew Webb (1848–1883) who, 150 years ago on 25 August 1875, became the first man to swim the Channel. Captain Webb was born in Dawley and later lived in Coalbrookdale. The exhibition will explore Captain Webb’s early years in the local area and life as a young man in the merchant navy, as well as his later extraordinary achievements and celebrity status as an exhibition swimmer. On display will be several personal objects once belonging to Captain Webb, including the trunks he is believed to have worn for his pioneering swim and locally produced commemorative items celebrating his legacy as a pioneering long-distance swimmer and national hero.
Kyla Hislop, Acting Head of Interpretation at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “Our temporary exhibitions offer a chance to explore stories not told elsewhere across our museums, and to showcase objects from the Trust’s reserve collections.
“We are delighted to be presenting this unique, free exhibition telling the story of two local figures who, more than a century apart, have left their own lasting legacy in the Ironbridge Gorge. This marks the first time Bob Rhodes’ artwork has been exhibited since it was bequeathed to us in 2017. His use of vivid colour and large-scale formats creates a striking visual impact that really must be experienced in person. And Captain Webb is not only a local legend but a national hero whose feats continue to inspire endurance and open-water swimmers today.”
Different Strokes, a free exhibition, runs from Wednesday 23 July until Sunday 2 November 2025 at the Coalbrookdale Gallery, near Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron. It is open daily during school summer and half-term holidays and 5 days a week, Wednesday to Sunday, during term time. It is open 11am until 3pm.
Alongside the exhibition, on Tuesday 5 August, between 6.30pm and 8.30pm, Acting Head of Interpretation Kyla Hislop and Collections Curator Kate Cadman will give a talk about Captain Matthew Webb to celebrate the anniversary of his swim.
More information is available at ironbridge.org.uk
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