DESIGNERS, CRAFTSMEN, SILVER MANUFACTURERS AND ENGRAVERS
EVANS, Alan Alfred Born in 1937, he served his apprenticeship at RE Stone’s from 1953-8 studying silversmithing and design at the Central School of Arts and Crafts where he was a contemporary of Christopher Lawrence. In 1960, after National Service in the RAF he joined Wakely and Wheeler, but was not too happy there. Lawrence was by this time workshop manager for Gerald Benney and when a vacancy arose in 1964 for another silversmith, he suggested that Evans apply. In the late 1960s Benney decided to add colour to his repertoire and brought the master enameller Berger Bergersen over from Zurich to teach Gerald Benney, Alan Evans and Robert Winter the art of enameling. As at 2013, Alan Evans still works in the Benney workshop, but for his son Simon as opposed to Gerald. FENN, Howard Born in 1953, he won a scholarship after Olevels to Dartington Hall School, which offered a progressive education. It was there that he developed an interest in silversmithing. He then studied silversmithing and jewellery at the Sir John Cass School of Art from 1973-7. A post as a silver designer in the US fell through because of visa problems. Having worked with a silversmith for a while, he set up on his own in 1979. Over the years he has built-up a loyal clientele and produces beautifully proportioned work with clear bold lines and an almost sculptural quality. See pp.210-15. FISHER, Alann G An accomplished Sheffield-trained silversmith who became an educator. He was in overall charge of the jewellery, engraving and silversmithing evening classes that Don Porritt initially undertook at the Leeds College of Art. The Pearson Silver Collection has a bowl with pierced cover by him, which bears the Leeds College of Art sponsor’s mark which is engraved ‘Wrought by Alann G Fisher’. It bears the Sheffield date letter for 1949. FORREST, Marianne Born in 1957, after her art foundation course from 1977-80, Marianne studied three-dimensional design at Middlesex Polytechnic (now Middlesex University). She won the Topham Trophy Design competition in 1978 and subsequently made the piece while a student. This was followed by her postgraduate studies at the RCA in the Department of Silversmithing and Jewellery under Professor Gerald Benney. While there she went on to design and make the Mecca Dante Stakes Trophy in 1982 when the race was won by Simply Great, the jockey being Lester Piggott. (The following year the trophy was designed and made by the sculptor Elizabeth Frink.) Marianne graduated from the RCA in 1983. The following year she established her own workshop. She comments, ‘I work in any material conceivable using my making skills gained from training and practise as a silversmith to make pieces in anything from platinum to plaster, gold to granite. Most of my work has concentrated on timepieces of all types and sizes but more recently commissioned work has encompassed sculpture as well as fine jewellery. A recent commission includes two 4m-high sail form sculptures in bronze with cut glass and polished stainless steel spheres. A line of lights connects the two sculptures through a shopping and cultural centre at the heart of Portishead. The Pearson Silver Collection has a suite of three of her silver candelabra, each being set on a slate base (1987) and the Goldsmiths’ Company has a pair (1994) derived from the earlier design. Marianne is based in Hertfordshire and teaches at London’s Central St Martins College of Arts and Design.
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FOSTER-JONES, Christopher Born in Oxford during 1943, he joined Stuart Devlin in 1965 as his first craftsman and became manager of one of his Clerkenwell workshops in 1970. He later worked for Grant Macdonald. FOX, Richard Nicholas Born in 1954, he learnt jewellery making at his local technical college as an extra mural subject. He applied to study jewellery at Hornsey College of Art from 1974-7 but studied silver in his final year while this was his main subject at the Royal College of Art from 1978-81. He graduated at a difficult period, but established his own workshop and worked hard building the business. In the mid-1980s Bernie Ecclestone chose him to design the Formula One trophies. He has makes a wide range of silver from ecclesiastical to domestic. His workshop is at Croydon. See pp.216-23. FRIEND, George T Born in 1882, he became one the most accomplished engravers of his day. As well as managing his own workshop, he taught engraving at the Central School of Arts and Crafts from the early 1900s until shortly before his death in 1969. FROST, David Born in 1939, he studied at the Birmingham School of Jewellery and Silversmithing before proceeding to the Royal College of Art in 1962. There he was awarded a medal for experimental casting in silver. He taught at the Leicester College of Art and later became a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Polytechnic, from where he retired in 2000. He designed and made silver. FULLER, Brian Leslie Born in 1942, a radio talk by Reginald Hill inspired him to become a silversmith. He began his preapprenticeship course at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in 1958. He served his apprenticeship at Wakely & Wheeler indentured to Frank Beck. He moved to Nayler Brothers, worked for Gerald Benney, established his own workshop and was persuaded to return to Benney before establishing a large retail shop at Amersham, which included a range of silver and jewellery, including Fuller’s own work. He also taught and undertook major commissions. He retired in 2010. See pp.224-9. GALVIN, Louis Arnold Born in 1914 and served his apprenticeship with HG Murphy. Murphy died in 1939 and during the war Galvin worked at Hawkers in Kingston-on-Thames building aircraft. In 1946 he began working for the silversmithing firm of Edward Barnard & Co. After 10 years he established his own business in Hatton Garden and produced mainly domestic pieces for retailers like Garrard’s and Mappin and Webb. At one stage he employed 10 people. From 1946 until 1976 he also taught at the Camberwell College of Arts and Crafts. When the lease expired on his workshop in 1981 he established another one in West Molesey in Surrey, where he worked as a restorer of antique silver. GEERE, Richard Born in 1932 he served his apprenticeship with Ramsden and Roed, also studying by day release and in the evenings at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. He worked for Asprey and Stuart Devlin before establishing his own workshop. He also lectured at Eltham College in south London.
DESIGNERS, CRAFTSMEN, SILVER MANUFACTURERS AND ENGRAVERS
GILBERT, Robert Walter Known as Wally Gilbert, he was born in 1946. Having studied at the West Sussex School of Art and Design, he went on to study sculpturing at the Chelsea School of Art. Afterwards he started making jewellery, which he went on to teach. His work was transformed when he developed a technique of fusing wire to sheet metal without solder. In the late 1970s he moved to Herefordshire to establish a workshop and to teach. In 1982 he went to assist Louis Osman, but continued his own work as a jeweller. In the 1990s he turned his attention to silver. He has an instantly recognisable style that reminds people of a contemporary feel Arts and Crafts Movement metalwork. See pp.230-7. GLOVER, Robert Born in 1947, he studied at the Hornsey College of Art and The Royal College of Art. At the age of 21, his degree collection featured in Design Magazine. GOODDEN, Robert Born in 1909, he trained as an architect but became interested in industrial and designed pressed glass for Chance Brothers. After the war, he returned to architectural private practice, forming a partnership with Richard Russell. Goodden designed the Display of Sports Goods for the ‘Britain Can Make It’ exhibition and Goodden and Russell were asked to design a pavilion for the Festival of Britain. In 1948 Goodden and Russell were invited to become professors at the Royal College of Art, Goodden opting for what became the School of Silversmithing and Jewellery. He designed some silver, including the ‘Festival of Britain Tea Service’. He retired in 1974, was Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company from 1976-7 and died in 2002. See pp.238-45. GOULD, ME Designed pieces for Garrard’s, Mappin and Webb and CJ Vander in the 1950s and early 1960s. He taught at the Twickenham School of Art. He also undertook commissions. GRANT, George Edward Born c.1935, he undertook a preapprenticeship course at London’s Central School of Arts and Crafts and subsequently served as an apprentice with Leslie Durbin. Later he worked for Michael Murray. He established his own workshop at Rosebery Avenue, London in 1959. Eventually he moved to Chelmsford in Essex where he also taught. He was a fine craftsman who produced a great deal of ecclesiastical work. Technically superb, if other silversmiths had problems they would often ask George to ‘sort it’. GRANT, Norman Born in 1943, he studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. He opened his own workshop in 1967 and by 1975 he had a staff of seven. He exhibited in the UK and the USA and ran a summer school at his workshop in Fife. His output was mainly enameled jewellery but he also produced boxes and spoons. Grant’s work quickly became synonymous with the psychedelic ‘Art Nouveau’ floral revival style of the early 1970s, and its luminescent flowers and candy coloured shapes provided ideal accessories for the popular clothes of the moment from designers such as Biba and Mary Quant. His work became so trend-setting that it quickly became a ‘must-have’ accessory that was worn by many celebrities including Sandie Shaw and Mick Jagger, and later Billy Connolly and Elton John.
GRENVILLE, John Born in 1918 and studied painting at Kingston College of Art and from 1938-40 at Farnham School of Art. After war service he studied silversmithing at the Central School of Arts and Crafts 1945-7. His first workshop was established in 1947 but in the 1950s he had one in London where he produced handraised silver dishes with brightly coloured enamel abstract decoration. He also produced silver and enamel jewellery, domestic silver and church plate, much of these being ‘one-offs’. He moved to Brockford, Suffolk, in 1966 and opened a shop in Clare. He later moved to Stowmarket. The 1967 Crafts Journal stated ‘John Grenville is one of the few craftsmen whose work is not subsidised by teaching.’ He executed many church silver commissions for East Anglican dioceses in an elegant, modernist style, including a chalice and paten he designed and made in 1966 that is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. He died in 2004. GRIMA, Andrew Born in 1921 in Rome he was brought up in London and studied engineering at Nottingham University. After graduating in 1946 he became an employee of the jewellers HJ Company Limited. He opened his own shop in London’s Jermyn Street in 1966. Although primarily a jeweller, he did occasionally produce silver objets d’art. He died in 2007. GUILD of HANDICRAFT George Henry Hart was born in 1882 and was one of the original silversmiths who moved with Charles Ashbee and the Guild of Handicraft from London to Chipping Camden in 1902. Hart served a six-year apprenticeship and was elected a Guild member in March 1908 but the Guild was woundup in September of that year. However, in July 1908 George Hart had formed a new business also called the Guild of Handicraft, with three other Guild members as partners. Today the fourth generation of Harts are still creating fine silver in the Arts and Crafts tradition. The business’s story is told in The Harts of Chipping Camden by Richard Russell (Chipping Camden, 2008). HALL, Charles He studied at Hornsey College of Art and at the Royal College of Art. In 1972 he established his studio and workshop in Cornwall. A founding member of the Association of British Designer Silversmiths (now Contemporary British Silversmiths), he has undertaken many important commissions. In 2010 he helped Michael Galsworthy, then Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company, hand-raise a beaker in his workshop at Hayle. HAMILTON, Patricia Jean During the 1970s, she trained at the Sir John Cass School of Art as well as under Gunilla Treen, the innovative jeweller, at Morley College on London’s South Bank. She received various awards including Goddard’s Awards for Silver Design in 1979, 1980 and 1981 and the Laureate de Presse Française while exhibiting in Paris during 1992. She has been a regular visitor at the Chelsea Craft Fair and the Goldsmiths’ Fair. She exhibited with the Crafts Council in California and Frankfurt and has had solo shows at the Roger Billcliffe Gallery in Glasgow and at Villa d’Este in Johannesburg. Her personal clients include HRH Princess Christine of the Netherlands, a Saudi princess and Paul McCartney, for whom she made guitar buckles. Institutional clients include the Radcliffe Observatory and she has made ecclesiastical silver for Winchester Cathedral and for the new Christ of the Cornerstone in Milton Keynes. The Queen drank from one of Patricia’s chalices at the church’s inauguration service on 13 March
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