From art novice to curator

Tony's collection began after he came across a Jon Jones exhibition at our gallery in Birmingham's Mailbox shopping centre. He explains: "I was in the gallery and I was listening to people from Liverpool, Manchester and London saying which ones they would have. I thought, 'Hang on a minute, all of these paintings are going to disappear and us Brummies aren't going to be able to see them.' So I said to the fine art consultant that I'd take six, and I've been collecting from Castle Fine Art ever since! The team was so helpful: they showed me around the gallery and told me more information about Jon Jones, where the artwork originated from and the backstory." 

Art that inspires a passion

Following the exhibition, Tony was inspired to attend a tour by the English historian and broadcaster Carl Chinn, who is himself a great-grandson of a Peaky Blinders gang member. He says: "I just got hooked on the subject. Obviously I love the TV series: I like how it talks about the IRA, the Mafia and all of the things I didn't believe happened in the 1920s. Some of it is fiction, some of it is true, and I was fascinated. That's where it all began, I suppose. Then when I saw the hotel, which dates back to 1898, I knew straight away that the architecture and its history would be a fantastic fit for a Peaky Blinders theme, making it the perfect place to share my passion with people from all over the world."

Expert installation and customer service

The décor of the hotel - including wood panelling and stained glass windows - was carefully chosen in a nod to the late 19th-century period, during which the Peaky Blinders came to prominence in the Midlands. To ensure that the artworks complemented the existing features, Tony took advantage of our art installation service, which includes expertise on the positioning of the artwork according to lighting and furniture. Tony says: "I left it to the experts at Castle Fine Art, who came to hang all of the paintings for me. Once they were hung, I looked around and thought, 'Wow, this looks incredible!'."

Jon Jones' verdict 

Jon told us: "I think Tony has fulfilled his dream. Six years in the making, and it's suddenly come to life. Seeing his excitement is amazing, and it's also very flattering - when you create a painting, you don't think it's going to end up in a themed hotel! I think having paintings of the original, real-life Peaky Blinders here is a touching tribute to Dave Cross, who was the curator of the West Midlands Police Museum and passed away shortly after my first exhibition. He gave me the historical photographs, and these have lived on in my mind, so his memory lives on too."