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Some bronzes and imitation bronzes by English silversmiths
On May 19th, 2011 John Culme wrote on the subject of Uncategorized.
an advertisement by Mappin Brothers
of Sheffield, and
220 Regent Street and 66 Cheapside, London,
‘Fine Art Jewellers, Gold and Silversmiths, &c.,’
for their commemorative bust of Queen Victoria
after an original model by Marie Geflowski (1864-1932)
(from The Sketch, London, 13 April 1901, p. i)
It is not generally remembered that a number of 19th/early 20th Century English silversmiths were also makers of statuary and other works in bronze and bronze-finished electrotypes. Elkington & Co of Birmingham devoted considerable energy to this department, their bronzed electrotypes being a feature at several exhibitions. At New York in 1853, for instance, they showed busts of Homer, Sophocles and Aristotle and one of the Duke of Wellington after Henry Weigall, as well as a bronzed version of Charles Grant‘s ‘Iliad Salver‘ or sideboard dish.
At the International Exhibition of 1862 Elkington ‘s, in addition to silver and electroplate goods, exhibited full-size bronzed plaster cast figures of nine of the Magna Carta barons, after Westmacott, Thornycroft and others. These matched some of the 18 figures made by the firm in the 1850s for the House of Lords; each was a zinc casting with a chemically tinted and gilt finished electrotyped copper coating.
Further examples of larger work from Elkington’s bronze foundry are the two 8ft high figures representing Agriculture and Commerce after Henry Bursill, made for the Holborn Viaduct, opened by Queen Victoria in November 1869.
On a smaller scale, in 1901 the old firm of Mappin Brothers of Sheffield rushed out a commemorative bronze bust of Queen Victoria, who had died on 22 January. After a model by Marie Geflowski, daughter of the sculptor Edward Geflowski, it found favour with Edward VII who expressed his opinion that it was ‘the best likeness’ of his mother that he remembered.
- See examples of work from Elkington & Co (Ltd) and Mappin Brothers on myfamilysilver.com
Mark Twain and the Ascot Gold Cup of 1907
On May 20th, 2010 John Culme wrote on the subject of Uncategorized.
R. & S. Garrard & Co’s burnishers at work on the replacement Ascot Gold Cup of 1907,
which was delivered in August that year, about two months after the original had been stolen on 18 June
(photo from The Sphere, London, 20 July 1907)
Mark Twain, the American humorist and author of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, awoke one morning in June 1907 on the first day of a visit to England to find newspaper headlines proclaiming, MARK TWAIN ARRIVES – ASCOT GOLD CUP STOLEN. His waggish British friends took note.
The sensational theft the day before of the 500 sovereign cup was all the more embarrassing because it had vanished from under the noses of guards at the famous English horse race grandstand, one of whom was from Garrard’s, the Crown Jewellers, who had made the trophy. Besides, the cup had been paid for by King Edward VII and should have been the focus of all eyes on Gold Cup day, the most important of the racing calendar. It was never seen again.
The cup, 13 ¼ in high, comprised 68 ounces of 20 carat gold. Its design was in the style of similar early 19th Century racing trophies, Garrard’s craftsmen working from new drawings and a life-size model provided by their artist colleagues.
Enter Mr Twain. Shortly afterwards as guest of honour at a Savage Club dinner he was handed a parcel. It contained a copy of the stolen trophy in gilt plaster, with an incriminating note from a ‘partner’ who was supposed to have purloined the cup on the author’s behalf. The laughter subsiding, the replica was found to be exact in every detail except for the acorn top which had been replaced by a well-modelled bust of Huckleberry Finn’s creator.
artists at R. & S. Garrard & Co, working on the design and the model
for the Ascot Gold Cup of 1907
(photo: The Sphere, London, 20 July 1907)
A selection of items made by Garrard’s and its predecessors will be found on myfamilysilver.com, for which see:
George Wickes
Wakelin & Tayler
Garrard’s
John Culme, who for many years has been connected with Sotheby's Silver Department, is author of several books and articles, including The Directory of Gold and Silversmiths, 1838-1914, published in 1987, and co-author with Nicholas Rayner of The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor. He is also a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths' Company, London.
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