In the last fifteen years of his life L.S. Lowry frequently visited Sunderland and a small collection of his paintings and sketches are one of the strengths of the 20th Century Collection at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. A Lowry exhibition was held here in 1966. In 1960, at the same time that Lowry was discovering Sunderland for the first time, the new Director Tom Shaw, introduced a bolder acquisitions policy with Modern British Art and amongst acquisitions made during this period are works by Michael Ayrton, Edward Burra, Prunella Clough, Allen Jones, John Nash, Robin Philipson and Ian Stephenson.