Walter Dexter - Painter

1876 – 1958

Walter Dexter, artist.

Born in Wellingborough, his family came back to King’s Lynn when Walter was a boy; his father returning to work in the family photographic studios. Walter was the oldest of 4 sons and one daughter, all of whom showed artistic skills and were at one time involved in the family business, which moved into the High Street in Lynn and extended its range to stationary and fancy goods. He learnt his love of Lynn and particularly the river from the time he spent there as a child with his grandfather.

King's Lynn from the southwest 1930 - 1933

Having gone to Croads school in Lynn, and been given painting lessons by Henry Baines the famous West Norfolk artist, Walter went on to Birmingham School of Art at the age of 16, and was soon making a name for himself. In 1892 when he had been in Birmingham only 4 months he won a local scholarship, he was the youngest candidate that year, and came 6th in the results for the whole country. He went on to study in Belgium and Holland.

By his early 20s he was back in Lynn where he lived on a converted fishing boat moored on the river Nar.

Just before World War1 he met his wife Helen, the daughter of John Chadwick, a house decorator, who lived at 83 High Street. She helped her mother Nellie working in the North End. She was a friend of Ida Dexter, Walter’s sister. They married in 1915. It would seem Walter did not fight in the World War I but worked as Art Master at Bolton Grammar School, Helen helped at a children’s clinic there. They had no children of their own.

On their return to Lynn they lived at the Toll House on the A47 at East Winch. Mrs Dexter was active in the suffrage movement, and acted as their local secretary. That they were unconventional is borne out by those who remember them. A neighbour recollected calling on them one day, to find Walter painting his wife in the nude; Dexter continued to paint, Mrs Dexter continued to sit there entirely unconcerned, the neighbour, pink in face - fled. Locals recollect that they lived very modestly and one remembered that on calling at the house in winter they were muffled up indoors and the house was cold. He was often seen in the area working at his easel, recording local views. It would seem that he did not make sufficient income from his paintings alone but also worked as a commercial artist illustrating books and doing some very fine posters, the most admired advertised the railways. He also worked at one time for the Council for the Preservation for Rural England. In 1941 he joined the staff at King Edward VII Grammar School for boys at King's Lynn.