How Aberfan disaster portraits helped bring children home to grieving families

A village living with loss

The disaster continues to shape everyday life in Aberfan. Its impact is especially present in the memorial garden on the site of the school and in the cemetery, among its white arched monuments.

Memories held in portraits

For many families, portraits of the children became more than paintings. Annette’s sister Denise said the picture made her feel that Annette had returned to life. Portraits of Lynn Harding, Gareth Davies and Terence Davies still hang in their family homes. The Andrew family also treasure a portrait of Kelvin and Malcolm, whose father, Stephen Andrew, was the school caretaker.

An artist responds to grief

William Richardson earned his living sketching visitors and celebrities on Llandudno Pier. After following news of the disaster from hundreds of miles away, he felt compelled to help bereaved families, according to his children Jean and Ken.

Parents wrote to Richardson with details about their children, including their eye and hair colour and what they wore. He is believed to have painted about 100 portraits, building a lasting connection with families in Aberfan.

Keepsakes in family homes

The portraits became part of daily life in homes around the village. Jean and Ken Richardson remembered their father’s sustained work on the paintings, and Ken described looking at them as like seeing old friends.

Jeanette recalled how her parents reacted when Edwina’s portrait arrived. Edwina had returned home before school began on the morning of the disaster, and her father later found her trapped beneath the wreckage.