Description: This drawing depicts The OLD Dog and Bear Pub on Bridlesmith Gate. The drawing is dated at about 1887 (though this seems wrong as the new pub was built in 1876 (the landlord at that time was Thomas Smith whose initials as well as the date can be seen carved in one of the keystones above the window. See NTGM003605.) The new pub is not sited on the corner, as is the jettied building seen here, it was built slightly to the rear. The old building was being demolished, but still standing at the same time as the new one was being built, see NTGM003622. The artist was Thomas Cooper Moore (1827 - 1901), who was a nineteenth century painter, watercolourist and pen and ink artist who first trained as an architect before dedicating himself to art. He was mainly self taught in this field but later started the first sketching class in Nottingham and was a founder of the Nottingham Society of artists. Most of Moore's landscapes were produced in or around the Nottingham area. During this time and later in the nineteenth century his art was exhibited in Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham and London. T. C. Moore was also the father and teacher of Claude T. S. Moore (1853-1901), who became very well known for his paintings and watercolours of the Thames and other river views. A number of Thomas Cooper Moore's drawings and watercolours are housed in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. There are many more of his sketches to be seen on this web-site.