THE studio of Pitman Painter Norman Cornish is to be preserved for future generations as part of the North-East’s mining heritage.

His art equipment, including dozens of unfinished works, as well as his chair, easels, paint pots, brushes and other objects, has been donated to Beamish Museum, near Stanley, in County Durham.

Arrangements were made months before the death of the Spennymoor 94-year-old in August.

Some of the objects, including replicas of his unfinished paintings, are now on display in the museum’s Regional Resource Centre.

Mr Cornish was the last surviving painter from the Spennymoor Settlement, which became known as the Pitman’s Academy.

Kate Reeder, head of social history and collections management at Beamish, said: “We are lucky enough to have been working with Norman’s family over the past year.

“This has given us a unique perspective into Norman’s life and we are extremely grateful that his family has so kindly donated such wonderful pieces of history to Beamish.

“Norman captured everyday life in the North-East, from men working in the pits to women gossiping in the back lanes, which we hope to share with people through our own 1950s developments in the future.

“We want to tell the fascinating story of how men, such as Norman, and women joined organisations like the Spennymoor Settlement, the Ashington Group and others to represent their lives through media such as painting and writing.”

The museum already has the Berriman’s chip van, that was used in Spennymoor which features in a number of Mr Cornish's paintings.

Staff from Beamish carefully recorded every aspect of the studio before the contents were moved to the museum.

Dozens of detailed photographs were taken to record exactly how it was when he last used it.

Beamish has been given up to 100 unfinished paintings, ranging from A4 size to about 3ftx5ft, and pencil and charcoal sketches, including a number that differ from his usual style.

Other objects collected from the studio included Mr Cornish’s chair, paint-stained carpet, posters, empty tubes and tins of paint, pots and lids used for mixing, and brushes.

A spokesman for the Cornish family said: “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with the staff at Beamish Museum to preserve Norman’s studio for the benefit of the nation.

“Rarely does this sort of opportunity come along. When the studio is displayed, it will provide a fascinating insight into the creation of his art and it will also form another piece of the legacy.

“Norman Cornish was one of the greatest and most acclaimed British artists of the late 20th century.”