Housed in a beautiful and period, custom-designed building, Southampton City Art Gallery had an inauspicious start. It was opened in 1939, but in its first year it was hit by a bomb during the Second World War, and closed until the end of the war. In its eighty years it has accumulated one of the finest collections in the south of England. Aided by a decision to always consult the Director of the National Gallery on acquisitions, and therefore obtaining the support of Kenneth Clark in its early days, it has built up 20th Century holdings of real strength, aided in no small part by the wise choices of Maurice Palmer, Curator from 1950 to 1970, and aided by significant bequests, including one from Arthur Jeffress. Part one of two curations.