This painting shows the artist's back garden at 19 Queensland Avenue in
Merton Park. It was painted in 1925. The work depicts a typical London
suburb of semi-detached and detached houses. The painter, Harry Bush, often
used suburbia as his subject.
Residential Merton begins
Merton Park estate was created for local landowner John Innes. From the
1870s, the houses on the estate were built in the Queen Anne revival
style.
Housing growth
Areas such as Merton began as rural settlements. Between the first and
second world wars, many became part of Greater London. Their pleasant
qualities and architecture were celebrated by the writer and poet John
Betjeman in his television documentary, Metroland. Merton Park is typical
of comfortable edge-of-town housing.
