Portraits of Terry Higgins have gone on display in his hometown of Haverfordwest.
To mark what would have been his 80th birthday, a series of portraits of our namesake, Terry Higgins, have gone on display in Haverfordwest’s Town Museum, Town Council and Library.
Terry Higgins was the first named person to die of an AIDS-related illness in the UK. Born in Pembrokeshire in 1945, he lived in Haverfordwest and attended the local all-boys grammar school from 1956-60. Terry died in St Thomas’s Hospital in London in 1982 after falling ill – he was just 37 years old. In the wake of his death, his partner Rupert Whitaker OBE and close friend Martyn Butler OBE founded Terrence Higgins Trust in his memory. Today, the charity supports people living with HIV to live well, including delivering peer support across Wales.
To mark Terry’s birthday, we’re asking our wonderful supporters to Do it for Terry, as Terry’s friends did in 1982. Click here to find out more about our Do it for Terry campaign, and to learn about Terry’s life and his lasting legacy.
Terry Higgins – Three Ages of Terry (2023) by Curtis Holder
This coloured pencil portrait by artist Curtis Holder depicts Terry Higgins at three life stages: as a navy teen, a young man, and in the final weeks before his death from an AIDS-related illness – one of the first in the UK.
The drawing, based on personal photos and memories shared by his partner Rupert Whitaker OBE, uses a red-toned palette symbolising the red ribbon which is an international emblem of HIV awareness.
The original portrait is on display at the National Portrait Gallery, with support from Terrence Higgins Trust. It was unveiled to mark what would have been Terry’s 78th birthday and pays tribute to his life and Terrence Higgins Trust’s work in raising awareness of and helping to destigmatise HIV.
This portrait is on loan from Terrence Higgins Trust to Haverfordwest Town Museum until January 2026.
Terry Higgins (10 June 1945 – 4 July 1982) portrait by Nathan Wyburn (2022)
This portrait of Terry from his school days in Haverfordwest was painted in Welsh colours of red and green by Welsh artist Nathan Wyburn, using heart shaped stamps – the symbol, which is seen in Terrence Higgins Trust’s logo. The photo pays tribute to Terry’s life and the Trust’s enduring work in raising awareness of and helping to destigmatise HIV.
This portrait is a limited-edition print and has been signed by the artist and gifted to the Haverfordwest Town Museum by Terrence Higgins Trust.
Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:
‘On what would have been his 80th birthday, we are touched that portraits of Terry are being displayed across Haverfordwest – the town in which he spent much of his early life.
‘These brilliant portraits by Curtis Holder and Nathan Wyburn give insight into the life that Terry lived and the legacy that he left behind. We are proud to be sharing his story in partnership with Haverfordwest Twon Museum, Haverfordwest Town Council and Haverfordwest Library’.
Dr Simon Hancock MBE FSA, Curator at Haverfordwest Town Museum, said:
‘The Haverfordwest Town Museum is honoured to host the special exhibition of art to mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Terrence Higgins at Haverfordwest. He was an activist and social influencer who deserves to be so much better known in the town where he lived nearly half of his short life. We are delighted to work in partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust, Haverfordwest Town Council and Haverfordwest Library to ensure this important anniversary is marked appropriately.’
Vanessa Lewis Camacho, Town Clerk at Haverfordwest Town Council, said:
‘We’re really pleased to have been contacted by the Trust to help mark Terence Higgins’ 80th birthday here in Haverfordwest, where he was born. It’s great to be working alongside the Trust, and our library and museum, who’ve put together some wonderful exhibits to celebrate his life and legacy.’
A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire Library Service, said:
‘It is an honour to display the picture of Terence Higgins at Haverfordwest Library, to mark the 80th anniversary of his birth.
‘The Terrence Higgins Trust has grown to become the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity and it is important that the man that inspired the charity is remembered, especially here in his hometown.
‘We hope people will take the opportunity to see the picture of Terrence by Nathan Wyburn and learn more about Terrence and the charity that bears his name.’
