The late German marine artist Johannes Holst, 1880-1965.
A unique and one-off retrospective exhibition of the works of the notable marine artist Johannes Holst. Holst was renowned in his own life time for his depictions of primarily German merchant sailing ships during the second half of the 19th century until the eventual demise of commercial square-rigged sailing ships following the tragic loss of the four-masted barque Pamir, in 1957. The exhibition was opened on 28 May 2020 by Michael Leek, on the invitation of the museum. Unfortunately, due to the Covid pandemic, the formal opening had to be done online. (The link goes straight to Michael's opening address!) https://www.imm-hamburg.de/en/johannes-holst-and-michael-leek/

This is a link to a photo book comprising a personal collection of images taken by and during Kristan's service with the United States Peace Corps in Mauritania, West Africa, between 1982 and 1984. Born in Colorado, USA, Kristan has held senior positions in public health policy with the United Nations. She has worked in a number of UN organisations (UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNDP and WHO). In addition to her time in Mauritania, she has lived and worked in Botswana, France, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Pakistan, Switzerland and Viet Nam. She and her husband Michael now live on the West Coast of Scotland. https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/10261256-in-a-land-of-shifting-sands-images-of-mauritania

The Society for Nautical Research, founded in 1910, is the world’s premier maritime history society. It publishes The Mariner’s Mirror, the leading international journal of maritime history, and also plays an important role in preserving and promoting the maritime heritage of the UK. It was instrumental in saving Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory in 1922 and has been closely associated with her restoration ever since. The Society was also instrumental in founding the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich and the Royal Naval Museum at Portsmouth, now part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy. The SNR has a vibrant international membership of likeminded scholars and enthusiasts of all matters maritime. (Michael has been a member of the SNR since 1968!) https://snr.org.uk

The RCA, founded in 1837, is the world's most influential postgraduate institution of art and design. Indeed, it is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the world! Michael was an MPhil student at the RCA, part of the first cohort of students to enrol on the exclusively part-time MPhil programme. At the time the research and/or practice based MPhil programme had been introduced exclusively for mature students who had demonstrable professional practice experience in their chosen field of study. (Michael was awarded a fee scholarship for the final two years of his studies.) https://www.rca.ac.uk

Gary is a former student of Michael's, when Michael was teaching technical illustration at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art & Design (Arts University Bournemouth). Gary was exceptional in his abilities as a student of illustration. Incorporated into his studies at Bournemouth, Michael selected Gary to illustrate the definitive history of HMS Warrior (The immortal Warrior - Britain's first and last battleship, by Captain John Wells RN DSC CBE, 1987). After a long and successful career with The Sunday Times, Gary is now an accomplished watercolour artist, focusing on arborealism. Recently - July 2025 - he was elected Vice President of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour (VPRI), a rare and unique accolade for a former technical illustrator! The RI is the second oldest watercolour society in the world. https://www.cookthepainter.com/about

Richard is another former technical illustration student of Michael's. As a student Richard was exceptional in his grasp of the complexities of technical illustration, from preparatory drawings, perspective theory through to finished artwork. He has long been a highly successful freelance illustrator, which includes being a rare Lucasfilm Licensed Artist, working on many of the official Star Wars-based publications! Richard has won a number of awards for his illustrations, which range from the application of traditional techniques to 3D digital imagery, all underpinned by a commitment to technical accuracy and realism. https://www.richardchasemore.co.uk

Ian is another former technical illustration student. After two years at Bournemouth, Ian decided to pursue his talent, inclination and preference for painting. Ian has exhibited widely in Britain and Europe, including with the Royal Academy (RA), the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA), the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI). In 2016 he won the Artist of the Year Award and has twice been accepted for the prestigious Lynn-Painter-Stainer's Prize at the Mall Galleries, London. https://ianhargreaves.net

Peter was a technical illustration student at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design when Michael first entered design education as a part time lecturer in the 1970s - Ravensbourne being his very first teaching post (at the personal invitation of the then Vice Principal, the late John Pezare). Michael taught Peter during the latter's final year at Ravensbourne. After a period working as a professional illustrator, Peter eventually entered design education himself (he taught alongside Michael at the Arts University Bournemouth). Since leaving education Peter has developed a successful career as an architectural illustrator, combining his skills as a technical illustrator with his passion for architecture. He is the author of the book Architectural Illustration. https://www.pjarvis.co.uk

The NRS, founded in 1893, publishes in print and online rare and original documents on naval history. Since its foundation it has produced over 160 printed volumes. These constitute an invaluable source for students and scholars of naval history, with an emphasis on the Royal Navy. (Michael has been a member of the NRS since 1983.) https://www.navyrecords.org.uk

Founded in 1868, the Royal Historical Society is a learned society of the United Kingdom, which advances scholarly studies of history. The society's membership comprises honorary vice-presidents, elected Fellows, Associate Fellows, and Members. The society exists to promote historical research in worldwide, representing historians of all kinds. Its activities primarily concern advocacy and policy research, training, publishing, grants and research support, especially for early career historians, and awards and professional recognition. (Michael is an Associate Fellow of the RHistS, having been elected primarily on his work researching, designing and managing various maritime, aviation, architectural and industrial heritage projects in the Britain, Sweden, Finland and Sicily). https://royalhistsoc.org

The RUSI, founded in 1831, is the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank. Its mission is to inform, influence and enhance public debate on a safer and more stable world. The RUSI is a research-led institute, producing independent, practical and innovative analysis to address today’s complex challenges. Together with revenue from research, publications and conferences, the RUSI has sustained its political independence for nearly two centuries. (Michael has been a member of the RUSI since the early 1980s!) https://rusi.org

The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) was founded in 1754 and granted its Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1847. The RSA has been at the forefront of significant social impact for over 260 years. The RSA's proven change process, rigorous research, innovative ideas platforms and diverse global community of over 30,000 problem-solvers (the Fellowship), deliver solutions for lasting change. (Michael was elected a Fellow of the RSA in 1983, and since 1985 has been a life-Fellow.) https://www.thersa.org

Marine Traffic is a global ship tracking website, primarily through AIS (Automatic Identification System). Under international maritime law, administered through the United Nation's International Maritime Organization (IMO), there is a requirement for all vessels over 300 gross tons to transmit their position via AIS receivers. (Marine Traffic has, as at 31 Dec 2024, published over 1,400 of Michael’s ship photographs.) https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/photos/by/copyright:Michael%20Leek