The inspiration of town man Vince Rea was behind the unique venue which opened in 1970 and showcased the work of artists such as Picasso.
We compiled our own Shields Gazette archive gallery in a tribute to Vince, his work and the gallery which put the profile on Jarrow.
1. Back to the early days
Dignitaries are shown work in the Bede Gallery in a photo from 1970. | sg
2. From the USA
Vince was pictured with one of the pieces from an exhibition of American pop art in 1972. | sg
3. A hero pays a visit
Thomas McCormack takes a look at the exhibit of the Albert Medal at the gallery in 1972. Thomas himself had earned the medal in 1909 for rescuing four men who were overcome by fumes at the Mercantile Dry Dock. | sg
4. In the picture
Vince Rea pictured at the gallery in a Shields Gazette archive photo from 2004. | sg
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