The Goldsmiths' Review 2014-2015

Prime Warden TheNew

byDavidBeasley

The new Prime Warden, Timothy Schroder, retains a youthful countenance, which belies his experience in his chosen field – gold and silver. The author of several scholarly books and many articles, his knowledge of the subject is extensive.

Born in 1953, Timothy grew up in Ascot and attended prep school near Hastings, followed by St. Edward’s School in Oxford, where one particular teacher nurtured his love of history. It was, however, his interest in philosophy and theology in its intellectual and human aspects that guided his choice of subject at university. At Christ Church, Oxford, in the early 1970s he found the lectures on Christian doctrine by John Macquarrie (Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity) particularly inspiring. The Dean of Christ Church at the time was Henry Chadwick, a ‘colossus’ in the field of early church history and a man of immense gravitas. Timothy remembers him telling the assembled freshers of his year that “there is only one sin seriously committed in Oxford today and that is wasting time.” To judge from Timothy’s future activities, the Dean’s words evidently made their mark.

From Oxford’s dreaming spires, he moved to the relative squalor of a scout hut in South Kensington, behind Holy Trinity Church, to take a diploma course at the Study Centre for the History of Fine and Decorative Arts, which was run by the redoubtable Erica O’Donnell. The subjects over the three terms were Architecture, Decorative Arts and finally Painting and Sculpture. He had not expected to enjoy the Decorative Arts but the first two lectures of that term – one on Italian maiolica and the other on Renaissance silver – hooked him immediately and he has never looked back.

At the end of the course, in 1976, he had planned to study for an MA at the Courtauld Institute but, hedging his bets, also applied to all the London auction houses and was offered a job in Christie’s Silver Department. Agonising over the choice between the certainty of a job and the uncertainty of a further degree, he chose the former and was taken under the wing of Tom Milnes-Gaskell, with the aweinspiring figure of Arthur Grimwade in the background. The experience of the auction rooms – with incoming stock for sale, valuations and the sheer volume of goods – was a superb learning place. In those days great things still came in off the street, such as an embossed plaque of the Adoration of the Shepherds by the great Dutch master, Paul van Vianen. The standard reference book described it as ‘lost’ and the owner, who knew nothing about it, had been planning to give it to the church jumble sale! It is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

On Tom Milnes-Gaskell’s transfer to the Rome office, Timothy became Head of the Silver Department and mounted the rostrum as an auctioneer. But he was keen to extend his knowledge and in 1984 was appointed Curator of Decorative Arts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. One of his duties there was to catalogue the outstanding silver collection being formed by Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert, much of which was on loan to the museum. He was obviously not daunted by multi-tasking because at the same time he was writing a history of English silver, commissioned for the National Trust while he was still at Christie’s.

The Gilbert book is a magnificent achievement, and its layout and illustrations became a model for all future collection catalogues. It is amazing that the National Trust book on silver was published in the same year - 1988.

Having completed the Gilbert catalogue, Timothy returned to the UK in 1989 and, with Lucy Morton, started a small dealing business in the Halkin Arcade in Belgravia. Partridge Fine Art later made him an offer he could not refuse, bought the business and appointed him director of their silver department. By the mid-1990s, however, he recognised that dealing required a certain temperament which was not his natural style.

A fortuitous set of circumstances had meanwhile combined to bring the Gilbert collection to London, a development that led directly to the refurbishment of Somerset House on the north side of the Thames. Timothy was appointed Curator of the Gilbert collection in 1996 and on the completion of the project in 2000 he moved on to become a consultant curator at the V&A. There he worked on the Whiteley Silver Galleries, the Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Gallery and, later, the redisplay of the Gilbert collection when it left Somerset House.

Whilst all this was happening, he was also working on the long-planned catalogue of silver in the Ashmolean Museum. Originally intended, many years ago, as a single volume work, it was eventually published in three volumes, to great acclaim, in 2009. This was a huge undertaking, worked on over a 20-year period. But other projects were going on too, including curating exhibitions (at Goldsmiths’ Hall in 2004 and 2008 and at the Wallace collection in 2007). In 2012 he published a catalogue of the Zilkha collection of Renaissance and Baroque Silver.

Timothy is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a member of the London Diocesan Advisory Committee. In 2013 he was awarded a DLitt by the University of Oxford. Other roles include chairman of the Silver Society (20112014), a trustee of the Wallace collection and chairman of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre.

Plans for his year in office include focusing attention on the Company’s wonderful historic collection of silver.

On the personal side, he married Ellen Laskey in 1987 and they have four children – Charlotte, Ben, Anna and Miranda – who are now at various stages of first employment, university and school. He was made a Freeman in 1979, elected to the Livery in 1993 and to the Court of Assistants in 2004. Timothy has chaired or sat on several of the Company’s committees, including the Antique Plate Committee, Promotions and Marketing, Membership and Collections & Library. Plans for his year in office include focusing attention on the Company’s wonderful historic collection of silver and increasing awareness among contemporary silversmiths of the great traditions of our craft. Another initiative is to inaugurate an annual lecture on the theme of the visual arts in society. A strong focus of the lectures will be on the decorative arts, a field that is less well served by museums, publishers and journalists than painting and sculpture. The first lecture will be given by Dr. David Starkey at Goldsmiths’ Hall in April next year.

During his year Timothy will not be idle. He is working on a history of goldsmiths’ work at the court of Henry VIII and has just completed a small book on a private collection of Elizabethan silver that will appear before Christmas. No doubt the words of Henry Chadwick are still ringing in his ears some 40 years on.

Image: Julia Skupny

Prime Warden ThePast

byWilliamParente

“We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree And wither and perish, but nought changes thee.”

If it be not sacrilege to compare the Goldmiths’ Company to the Deity, the words of the hymn ‘Immortal, Invisible’ are an accurate description of the role of the Prime Warden. He (or she, as will very soon be the case) moves through the affairs of the Company, as Freeman, Liveryman, Assistant, sitting on and chairing committees, then becoming in succession Fourth, Third, and Second Warden, until at the ceremony in May he is installed as Prime Warden. Life changes rapidly. Suddenly everyone refers to him as ‘Prime Warden’ rather than by name. The Prime Warden’s apartment is readied. The diary fills to bursting. (Very soon the PW also fills to bursting). Ceremonies pile up: Election of Sheriffs; Election of Lord Mayor; Trial of the Pyx; Lord Mayor’s Banquet; official visits to schools, military establishments; prizes, awards; Freedom ceremonies; and the ‘clothing’ of Liverymen. In the background, the Company’s affairs continue to rumble like a mighty engine below decks. Finance, future strategy, membership issues, governance – the buck stops with the Court of Assistants but, before it stops there, it pummels the Prime Warden on the way. It is as though a tiny ripple way out on the tranquil ocean has grown huge as it rolls towards the shore, breaking as a mighty wave of invitations and engagements which, as the year progresses, becomes a veritable tsunami. There are new friends to make, particularly the Masters and Prime Wardens of the other Companies and their ladies (or gentlemen).

The arcane order of precedence of the Twelve Great Companies needs to be mastered: woe betide the Prime Warden who barges in to a ceremony at number four instead of number five! Fortunately the Clerk is there to remind the tongue-tied Prime Warden of the correct form; produce the correct badge, like a rabbit from a hat; and steer the now-loquacious Prime Warden back after the dinner.

The permanent officers of the Company have seen it all before. What is novel and surprising to the new Prime Warden is old hat to them. They strive to keep this excitable infant within the confines of his pram and pick up his toys when he throws them out. The Prime Warden has a year to make the changes he thinks desirable: he is like Usain Bolt in the 4 x 100 metres relay, needing to be out of the blocks in a flash and careering down the track. The permanent staff, under the Clerk, Dick Melly, and his Deputy, Nick Harland, have set off a long time before. They are running the Marathon, and as the frenetic figure of the PW rushes past they have two options: slow him down, or desperately struggle to keep up. It is an interesting situation, but not unique: High Sheriffs have the same creative tension with their secretariat and, in a lesser form, it applies to all elected politicians and their civil servants. Yes, Minister!

Actually the system is a highly effective way of reconciling change and continuity which has evolved over centuries. Younger nations often struggle to achieve this balance.

The Prime Warden has a year to make the changes he thinks desirable: he is like Usain Bolt in the 4 x 100 metres relay, needing to be out of the blocks

in a flash…

Some of the ceremonies are jaw-droppingly weird. At the Election of the Sheriffs in Guildhall, flower petals are strewn on the ground; a bizarre procession of bewigged legal types advance on the stage bearing posies; there is a man in a huge fur hat; a man with a sword; a man with an even bigger sword; and a man with a voice of brass who bellows unnervingly when you least expect it. The only possible justification for this sort of mumbo-jumbo is that it has been going on for hundreds of years - and that it works!

The Trial of the Pyx is a different matter. It is clearly desirable that a Government’s currency is independently checked, and in this task the Company has a long and honourable history. The Chancellor’s speech last May was a model of wit, insight and historical awareness.

Perhaps the highlight of the external trips is the dawn visit to Billingsgate accompanied by one of the Fishmongers’ Inspectors. A mind-boggling array of fish, from giant halibut to tiny wriggling eels, is dispensed by an equally mind-boggling cross-section of humanity. Did you know that lobsters are right or left handed, and that Dover sole are better after three days than when fresh? The outing culminates in a trip back on the river, and memorable kedgeree in Fishmongers’ Hall.

Within the Company, the Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell, directed by Peter Taylor, goes from strength to strength, and the acquisition of the site, in view of the Crossrail development and the rise of Farringdon, looks ever more prescient. Closer to home, a working party under the Third Warden, Michael Wainwright, has begun a wide-ranging assessment of the hallmarking operation; the Membership Committee under Second Warden Timothy Schroder has approved the first Freemen by application; and substantial alterations to the Hall, masterminded by the House Committee under Hector Miller, will result in lady Assistants having their own cloakroom facilities adjacent to those of their male colleagues, a blow for equality where it matters.

The Goldsmiths’ Company is a fellowship, but the disbursing of large sums of money, to education, to charity, to the trade, is an important part of what it does. In order to speculate in this way, it is necessary to accumulate, and it is gratifying to report that the Investment Committee under Rupert Hambro, working closely with Susan Bailey the Director of Finance, has consistently ‘brought home the bacon’ under conditions that have not always been easy. It is worth observing that the Company benefits from some of the best advice imaginable, and it is grateful to all those members, on all the committees, who find time to work so hard for the Company’s future.

For the future is what the Company is about. This may seem a strange thing to say for such a traditional organisation, whose roots go back to the 14th century. But in an age when political decisions rest on a soundbite and investments are executed in microseconds, the Goldsmiths’ Company always has its eyes fixed on the far horizon, and is always looking fifty, a hundred, two hundred years ahead. It is not given to many to be able to play a part in something so long-sighted in its perspective, nor so fundamentally good in its actions, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity.

Finally I would like to say what an absolute pleasure it has been working with my fellow Wardens, Timothy Schroder, Michael Wainwright and Judy Lowe. I could not have had a more helpful, insightful and hard-working team. I wish Timothy and Ellen the very best for their year.

The past Prime Warden at the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race

Looking Back at the Year

New Designers 2014

Alex Monroe was on hand to present the Goldsmiths’ Company’s awards for Jewellery and Silversmithing at New Designers 2014. Karen Elizabeth Donovan from Edinburgh College of Art received the jewellery prize for her gold and titanium necklace described by the judges as “refined and delicate, yet contemporary.” Clive Taylor, from Birmingham City University, won the silversmithing prize for his executive LED lamp controlled by phone app which the judges praised for its combination of traditional silversmithing and modern technology.

Goldsmiths’ Fair 2014

Visitors flocked to Goldsmiths’ Fair 2014, which saw the debut of a new look for the Fair and a programme of events including Breakfast Talks and a showcase of exhibits personally selected by the architect, Zaha Hadid. The mood was positive and visitor numbers were up 9% on the previous year.

Young Designer Silversmith Award exhibition

Past winners flocked to the opening of a small exhibition in the Hall this autumn which celebrated the Young Designer Silversmith Award and its legacy. Running from 1994 to 2013, the Award was given annually to young designers, allowing them to experience making up their design in a workshop and seeing their pieces in national collections. The opening gave a chance for past winners to revisit memories and renew old friendships.

New apprentices

Nine new apprentices were presented to the Wardens in October, four of them graduates of the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Foundation Programme. They were bound to their masters to learn a range of skills including polishing, engraving, diamond mounting and silversmithing, so there will be a variety of masterpieces forthcoming in the next few years.

Image: Karen Bengall

Image: Jemima Carter-Lewis

Image: Sophia Tobin

Getting Started

Lesley Craze was one of the speakers on the GettingStartedcourse, which ran from 12-16 January with an evening reception on 15 January at the Goldsmiths’ Centre. The 30 participants, all recent graduates, were able to benefit from a varied programme which included talks by Stephen Webster, Ndidi Ekubia, Jos Skeates and Imogen Belfield.

Studio silver today at Belton

“Wonderful and overwhelming” was Angela Cork’s description of her time spent at Belton House, Lincolnshire, for the StudioSilverTodayproject. She is shown, on 1 November, reading the name of the winner of the prize draw for the beaker she designed during her residency there. The design was inspired by the balustrade of the house’s main staircase.

Trial of the Pyx

Setting Out

The Goldsmiths’ Centre’s course for working goldsmiths opened its year on 2 February 2015, with five participants: Anneka Moore, Alexandra Tosto, Kate Earlam, Mairi Burrows and Monique Daniels. Four out of five now occupy Starter Studios at the Centre whilst Monique was recently featured in ProfessionalJeweller’s Hot 100. The programme will continue into January 2016.

The opening of the Trial took place on 3 February 2015 and was summoned by the first female Queen’s Remembrancer in history, Senior Master Barbara Fontaine, who was appointed to the post in October 2014. More than 70,000 coins were assessed during the Trial, including a one-kilo gold coin commemorating the outbreak of World War One.

The Prime Warden & Clerk visit our affiliated armed services

On 24 March 2015, No. 30 Squadron celebrated its centenary at RAF Brize Norton in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal. 30 Squadron (equipped with C130 Hercules aircraft), and 7 Rifles are the Company’s two affiliated military units. The Prime Warden is shown with Lt Col James Bryant, the CO of 7 Rifles.

Make Your Mark

First trialled in the spring of 2014, the popularity of Make YourMark led to it being extended over two days from 17-18 April. Students from all over the country attended, amongst them a coachload from Wales. Treats in store for them included talks by Theo Fennell and Michael Wainwright, demonstrations and free hallmarking registration.

Image: Jamie Scott

Image: Warren King

Image: Paul Sanders

Image: Julia Skupny

Image: Julia Skupny

Cast in Copper

Richard and

Dorcas Martin

byTimothySchroder

On 16 October last year I attended the auction in Salisbury of a collection of historic English medals. Formed by Christopher Foley, FSA, the sale comprised 591 lots, spanning the 15th to the 17th century. The sale was the most significant of its kind for over a hundred years and, not surprisingly, was well attended.

The object of the Company’s interest was a cast copper medal, 5.85 cm in diameter, made for Sir Richard Martin (1533/4-1617). On the obverse it depicts Martin himself and on the reverse his wife, Dorcas. The medal is dated ‘1562’, when he was 28 years old and she 25. Happily, my bid was successful and the medal has now joined the Company’s collection.

The portrait medal is one of the defining genres of the Renaissance. The revival of this ancient art form is attributed to the 15th century Italian artist, Pisanello, who struck a commemorative medal of the Emperor John VIII Palaiologos in 1439. The idea caught on and by the mid-16th century was popular over much of Europe. The Martin medal is among the earliest made in England and is by Steven van Herwijck, a Netherlandish sculptor and gem engraver who came here in 1562.

Richard Martin was a major figure in the Company’s history, serving as Prime Warden not once but four times, between 1579 and 1592. But he played an important role on the national stage too. He was appointed Warden of the Mint in 1572 and was twice Lord Mayor; in 1589 (when he was knighted) and in 1594. The date of his appointment as royal goldsmith is uncertain but he is referred to as such from 1581 and the State Papers contain several warrants from the 1590s for substantial payments for plate and jewels. Nor was this the full extent of his commercial activities.

He was a serious investor in a number of entrepreneurial ventures, including the Society of Mineral and Battery Works (a mining company of which he was, at one point, the largest shareholder) and the Levant, Turkey and Russia Companies. He was a moneylender too and from 1594 to 1602 Controller-General of Hospitals, presumably a lucrative position in itself. In one direction or another, however, he became overstretched and in 1602 he was declared bankrupt and briefly imprisoned.

Until the time of his bankruptcy Martin was a wealthy man with properties in London, Tottenham and elsewhere. But his fortune was not made without ruffling feathers and much of his life was dogged by disputes. He quarrelled with John Lonyson, Master Worker at the Mint, and with Thomas Kelyng (or Keeling), Assay Master at Goldsmiths’ Hall, over the proper definition of sterling standard and in 1572 Kelyng petitioned the Queen that he had been ‘deprived of office… by procurement of Alderman Martyn’.

The portrait medal is one of the defining genres of the Renaissance.

Martin was clearly ambitious from the start and his medal (a form normally made to celebrate achievement rather than its expectation) dates from well before any of these appointments. But it is also unusual in depicting his wife on the reverse. Most medals of the period (such as that of Thomas Stanley, his predecessor at the Mint) depict a single individual with a coat of arms or emblem on the reverse. The key to this unconventional iconography lies in an altogether different side to Martin, one in which his wife was very much his partner.

Dorcas Martin (1536/7-99) was a significant figure in her own right. The daughter of John Eccleston, a prosperous grocer, she was well-educated and a translator and bookseller. Thomas Bentley, in his preface to MonumentofMatrons (1582), a compilation of Christian writings by women, called her ‘a right virtuous and godly matron and gentlewoman’ and Guillaume de Laune, a French Huguenot in London, described her as a woman ‘at whose godliness all do wonder’. But she was not merely pious; she was a radical Puritan who took a prominent part in the religious life of the City, using her business as a means of promoting her cause and sailing perilously close to the wind in the process. In 1572 Dorcas Martin was suspected of distributing an inflammatory pamphlet attacking TheBookofCommonPrayer. Not only that, but its author, Thomas Cartwright, was thought to have taken refuge in the Martins’ house in Milk Street before escaping to Germany.

Dorcas and Richard Martin were both dedicatees of various puritan-leaning books and pamphlets. These praised them for their spiritual integrity but also urged Richard to use his authority as Sheriff and then Alderman to defend England against the Catholic threat. This was a responsibility he did not shirk and in 1581 he oversaw the execution of several Catholic priests. In the following year he sent his deputy to search various houses in the City looking for books ‘tending unto papistry’.

The Martin medal joins portraits of two 16th century Prime Wardens in the Company’s collection, our great benefactor, Sir Martin Bowes (14971566), and Robert Trappes (14791560). All three men led rich and multi-faceted lives but Martin was particularly interesting for his double role as respected public figure on the one hand and a religious subversive on the other. Had Dorcas been proven to be the distributor of Cartwright’s pamphlet, or had Cartwright himself been found in their house, things might have worked out very differently.

Images: Clarissa Bruce

the

Mentoring Masters

byJemimaCarter-Lewis

I was fortunate to have been involved in a brilliant new initiative by the Goldsmiths’ Company called ‘The Master Craftsmen Internship Scheme’. The Company’s Curator and Art Director, Rosemary Ransome Wallis, has introduced this to give artist silversmiths the opportunity to develop their technical skills under the guidance of a Master Craftsman. The internships have allowed makers precious time for discussion, experimentation, and the opportunity to evolve their own artistic language.

As soon as the scheme was announced, the Curator’s department was inundated with letters, emails and telephone calls from silversmiths asking to be signed up. The Goldsmiths’ Company was effectively creating the means for silversmiths to meet and work together.

The contact base of the Company enabled strong links to be formed between the many artist craftsmen dispersed throughout the country who are usually working alone on their own projects and commissions. These internships were immediately recognised as an opportunity for discussion between makers with the added possibility of acquiring and developing new techniques. As Rod Kelly commented “being in a situation where makers can exchange ideas and techniques can only be a really positive experience.”

Rod helped to put the wheels in motion with the scheme and described it as a “real option truly supporting artist craftsmen –tt teaching creative makers the nuances of how to hammer, raise silver, sink silver, engrave and solder. To teach an already experienced skilled maker is a rewarding process; they are like sponges and soak up the information so quickly as they are already so capable.”

During 2014, seventeen Master Craftsmen Internships were arranged. As the year progressed, I received reports from silversmiths who had taken part in the scheme.

As most of the artist silversmiths who took part were in mid-career and already established in their field, many used the internships to build on their already exceptional silversmithing skills and to widen their palette as artist craftsmen. They reported that it was the support of the master craftsman, or the master craftsman’s team, together with the freedom of having time to think, that gave their regular ways of working an opportunity to flourish. Time is a luxury to artists and makers, as they are constantly working to deadlines in order to sell their products. Therefore, making changes to working styles and experimenting with different techniques is not always financially viable. Significantly the internships have created a way for makers to expand their contact base and to build connections within the silversmithing community.

An engraving Masterclass workshop held by Angus McFadyen was one of the all-round successes and he provided two workshops over two separate weeks. Cóilín Ò’Dubghghaill and Wally Gilbert had never engraved before – Cóilín is known for his irogane work and Wally for his decorative, chased metalwork.

Besides showing them how the various engraving tools were used Angus gave them guidance to master some basic techniques, inspiring many creative discussions about new ways to work.

Angus McFadyen explained: “It is very rare for me to spend time in the workshop with another maker and it has proved to be very productive... As a result of quite unrelated conversations I had with Wally and Cóilín, I have just finished a piece which I find as exciting as anything I have made for some time.” The vase that Angus is currently making for the Goldsmiths’ Company’s uses the new inlay technique which was the result of these discussions during the internships.

As soon as the scheme was announced, the Curator’s department was inundated with letters, emails and telephone calls…

Wally found the experience to be valuable because of the freedom he was given to experiment with the engraving tools. He discovered that his own strong draughtsmanship skills could be translated effectively through the technique of engraving, and has since started to include engraving as a facet of his work.

From Cóilín’s viewpoint, the scheme has been “a crucial way to pass on silversmithing skills and knowledge.” He told me it was not just the new knowledge of engraving skills which was important to him, but the valuable advice from Angus about his overall practice and business experience as a contemporary artist silversmith. Angus and Cóilín are also in discussion about a future collaboration on a silversmithing project.

Simone Ten Hompel visited Sheila McDonald’s enamelling workshop. She already has some experience, but this opportunity, to discuss the processes and various enamelling techniques with such a skilled maker, gave her a new enthusiasm. Simone has since found ways to incorporate enamel, using her own visual language, in new work, recently shown at S O Gallery, London.

“I was privileged to see, observe and try out things I had previously done but was taught different techniques and used stuff I had not previously used. The hands-on way of making was interjected with ‘what if?’ and acting upon this in various exercises…all in all a most valuable time.”

Ros Conway demonstrating the enamelling technique of wet layering

Sun spot, 2015, silver, gold and enamel by Simone ten Hompel Image: Courtesy of Gallery SO

Test piece of engraving by Wally Gilbert

Another call came from Theresa Nguyen who wanted to learn the art of enamelling from scratch. She was fortunate to have two internship experiences with enamellers Ros Conway and Jane Short.

In the first week, with Ros’ guidance Theresa quickly picked up enamelling skills, such as cloisonné, and in the second week with Jane Short, Theresa built upon her new skills. “As well as receiving practical advice from Jane, she also gave me the space and freedom to grow in confidence by making my own decisions throughout the process and learning through doing (and inevitably making minor mistakes and learning to correct them).”

Theresa has gained a strong set of skills and has included enamelling in her recent commissions. Through the internship, Jane Short and Theresa Nguyen have established a working relationship together and have produced new pieces of enamelled silver.

The new Master Craftsman

Internship scheme is a crucial way of maintaining and passing on skills.

A contrasting style of workshop was that of Kevin Grey, a silversmith working with the heavy machinery of TIG (Tungston Inert Gas) welding. Chris Knight spent a week learning about TIG welding and gathering skills to control the silver in the welding process. This internship was an invaluable experience for Chris, as he had tried the process previously but, lacking one-to-one tuition, was not yet producing sound results. “Kevin’s skill, expertise and experience have enabled me to TIG weld silver with more confidence and with the quality appropriate for my work.”

As one of the two student silversmiths on the Master Craftsmen Internship scheme, Hazel Thorn was offered a two week internship with Adrian Hope to learn further techniques of hammering and forming vessels. Hazel’s work has progressed hugely since the internship; with the use of a skill called peening, she has made a series of new dishes that hold strong forms and continue to incorporate her beautiful patinated metal: “The new techniques I have developed and improved on have added to my design work, as I now have a larger palette of techniques which I can consider using when thinking about objects to make.”

Miriam Hanid and Rauni Higson travelled up to Rod Kelly’s workshop in the Shetland Isles, with large silver pieces that needed ‘troubleshooting’. During their ‘hothouse’ internships with Rod, they were taken back to basics and gained further knowledge in various skills such as soldering, chasing, raising, forming, engraving, inlaying, hot forging, tool making and polishing.

Both women, already accomplished artist silversmiths, said that the experience proved invaluable for them as Rod’s extensive knowledge enabled them to get to grips with the various processes. Miriam commented: “Rod showed me how to work through a tricky stage of silversmithing by breaking it down into the small parts of each job. As the task of some silversmithing jobs can seem nearly impossible at times, this helped me focus my attention on what to do next instead of becoming overwhelmed.” She described the Master Craftsmen Internship Scheme as “ground-breaking”, giving silversmiths ways to learn the complexities of the skills involved in making a piece of silver. She is currently making a jug, many aspects of which have been developed during her internship with Rod.

Rauni Higson spent her time experimenting with techniques to realise her design for a rosewater dish commissioned for the Goldsmiths’ Company’s new Buffet Plate display. During the internship’s access to learning, Rod’s workshop provided her with the freedom to develop ideas and work in an experimental fashion. She explained to me that this was a special time for her as this way of working was a luxury, free from the normal constraints of time and economic pressures. Rauni has incorporated a new method of flat hammering to the new rosewater dish, developed with Rod on this internship.

Rauni, Miriam and Rod all commented that the discussions about their own practise and approach to making pieces were hugely interesting. By working as an artist silversmith alone one develops one’s own ways of working – it was this opportunity to share techniques that was fascinating for them.

The scheme has proved to be an all-out success. I have only included some of the feedback, but all the artist silversmiths who took part have been hugely enthusiastic – workshop holders and interns alike! This opportunity to come together to share and develop skills is exciting for silversmiths as new ways of making silver objects are being developed and the traditional Master Craftsmen’s skills are being kept alive. Rauni, the current Chairman of Contemporary British Silversmiths, explained how necessary the scheme is today:

“The new Master Craftsmen Internship scheme is a crucial way of maintaining and passing on skills. I hope to be able to pass on what I have been privileged to learn. I feel we are at a crucial point for silversmithing; just as there is a renaissance occurring in the artistry and appreciation of contemporary silver, the technical skills required are at risk if we don’t create new ways of keeping them alive and well, and nurturing the next generation of smiths. This particularly applies to the mid-career makers, who are already highly committed and skilled, but the art of silversmithing takes a lifetime of learning and practising.”

This initiative, under the aegis of Rosemary Ransome Wallis, will run again this year and I am very much looking forward to seeing how much further it will develop.

Patinated mixed-metal dish, 2015, by Hazel Thorn

Miriam Hanid at work in Rod Kelly’s workshop

Chris Knight TIG welding

and enamel, enamel by Jane Short, silver by Theresa Nguyen

Rauni Higson working on her Goldsmiths’ Company dish in Rod Kelly’s workshop

Lest We Forget

bySophiaTobin

The bronze war memorial at Goldsmiths’ Hall has rested on the marble of the Staircase Hall for 92 years. It records the names of those members of staff who left to serve their country in World War One, including two who received medals on active service and the five who were killed.

When war was declared in the long, hot summer of 1914, the Goldsmiths’ Company was quick to respond. At a special Court Meeting on 3 September, the Clerk, Sir Walter Prideaux, reported that nearly half of the staff had already gone to serve: within the armed forces as territorials; or as special constables. It was also reported that others wished to go. Those who requested permission to leave were told that their jobs would be held open for them, and they would continue to be paid, a condition which had to be revised as the years passed.

A name noted at that first Court meeting in 1914 was Humphrey Hollond Prideaux, the Company’s Assistant Accountant and the Clerk’s son. His Soldier’s SmallBook,kept in the Imperial War Museum, records that he enlisted at St Paul’s Churchyard on 28 August 1914, at the age of 36, that he was 6’1” with grey eyes and brown hair, and that he lived at Goldsmiths’ Hall.

A member of the Northumberland Fusiliers’ Special Reserve, Prideaux would receive the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross, serving in France and Belgium between 1915 and 1919 with some periods spent on home service. In addition to his British medals, he won the Belgian Croix du Guerre and was mentioned three times in despatches. His papers, left to the IWM, frustratingly do not hint at the specific reasons why he received his medals, and it seems no citation survives. However, the papers do reveal that he was present at the Battle of Messines with the Second Anzac Corps, an Australian and New Zealand Corps, with whom it seems he served as a Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, being promoted to Major a year later. The Battle, a precursor to the Third Battle of Ypres, took place in the summer of 1917 in Belgium; twenty-five thousand men lost their lives. A copy of a letter from General Sir Alexander Godley, commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, thanking the soldiers who served at Messines, survives in the Prideaux papers at the IWM.

The Court Minutes, as an official record, were deliberately written without hint of emotion, even during such difficult times. Over the war years they note the names of those injured, missing in action, and dead, in the same neat hand; the dismissal in October 1916 of a member of staff who refused to enlist; and the poignant detail that work increased in the Assay Office in 1916 as large numbers of gold wedding rings were brought to be hallmarked. It is the Court Minutes which therefore note that Humphrey Hollond Prideaux was awarded the Livery of the Company ‘without payment of the usual fine and fees in consideration of his military service’. He remained a member of staff until 1945, dying in 1964. In Hall correspondence he was always referred to as Major Prideaux.

The other medal winner recorded on the war memorial is a more shadowy figure.

The other medal winner recorded on the war memorial is a more shadowy figure. F.C. King, a marker in the Assay Office, was three weeks short of his 17th birthday when war broke out, having begun work at the Assay Office in 1912 when he was 15. He served as a mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps, the precursor to the Royal Air Force. He was awarded the Military Medal, given for gallantry in action under fire (the equivalent of the Military Cross given to Prideaux, but for the noncommissioned ranks). The details of the citation have been destroyed; the only hint is the word FRANCE stamped on his medal card, and the date in July 1917. From staff lists in the Company’s archive, he returned to his job in the Assay Office after the war, but by 1923 members of staff there were being asked to resign as a money-saving measure. F.C. King resigned his job at the Assay Office on New Year’s Day 1924, receiving a year’s salary in accordance with an offer presented to him a few months before. It is the last the Company knows of him.

F.C. King, like Humphrey Hollond Prideaux, stayed long enough to see a permanent memorial placed in the Hall to record those who served. Called the Roll of Honour, it was made by Gawthorp & Sons Ltd, and was unveiled on Monday, 19th March 1923 at 12.30, with lunch given afterwards in the Livery Hall.

Those listed on the memorial were allowed to bring close relatives to the ceremony. Some of the replies to this invitation are preserved in the archive. Mr A E Skinner asked if he could bring ‘my two little boys, one 8 and one getting on for 5, would you kindly let me know Sir…’ He was evidently a relative, perhaps the son, of Horace Skinner, a Company porter and one of those who had ‘passed out of the sight of men’ after he died of his wounds in July 1918. Those who remained watched the Roll of Honour be unveiled in the Staircase Hall. It remains there to this day, recording the names of those members of staff who ‘left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, and faced danger, that others might live in freedom’.

Creating stories in jewellery Alex Monroe

byKarinPaynter

Alex Monroe’s five-storey flagship store and studio is a buzzing hub of creativity. Designed by DHDSA Architects in close collaboration with Alex Monroe, the distinctive building located near London Bridge combines natural and modern materials to create a space that manipulates light to create a perfect display case for Monroe’s jewellery, at the same time imbuing visitors with a palpable sense of buoyant, creative optimism. It is known as ‘Alex Monroe HQ’ - and it is from here that he runs his business: designing, manufacturing and retailing beautiful, handmade, easy-towear jewellery.

The building, inaugurated in 2012, is constructed using sustainable materials and has won numerous awards, including the RIBA Award 2014 and the World Architecture Awards Wood Excellence Award 2014. The shop was designed to complement the existing Edwardian shop fronts in the area, with subtle changes that support a threestorey hand crafted structure, creating a perfect blend of old and new. Alex was very keen that the building should project a handmade quality and have a low impact on the environment. The main structure, internal finish and worktops are all constructed from prefabricated crosslaminated timber panels sourced from sustainable forests. The use of this material has removed approximately 27 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. The façade is clad with high quality pigmented zinc, handmade by craftsmen on site.

Alex Monroe himself has gained numerous awards and was named UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) Accessories Designer of the Year 2014. His brand is synonymous with jewellery storytelling and fine craftsmanship and is a wonderful success story for the Made in Britain movement.

Monroe’s signature style embodies delicate, pretty, quirky and collectable pieces of jewellery, individually designed by Alex and handcrafted in his London and Birmingham workshops. With turnover running at around £4m, Alex Monroe employs 80 people, from designers through to craftsmen. Half are London-based, with the other 40 in the service industry in Birmingham. A significant proportion of his sales are overseas with very strong export markets in Japan, Australia, Europe and the USA.

His celebrity followers include Emma Watson, Sienna Miller and Carey Mulligan.

Alex’s pieces are sold in fashion institutions from Harrods to Liberty of London, and he designs collections for Anthropologie. His celebrity followers include Emma Watson, Sienna Miller and Carey Mulligan. When Sophie Dahl was featured wearing his Bumblebee necklace in June 2009, stockists reported instant sell-outs. He has participated in exciting collaborations with Nike, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Coco de Mer and Penhaligons, as well as a project that forged a link between Burt’s Bees and the British Beekeeper’s Association. Alex Monroe’s Afternoon Tea Collection was created in collaboration with London’s famous Goring Hotel.

Alex Monroe’s flagship store and studio in Snowsfields, Bermondsey, designed by DHDSA Architects Image: Alex Monroe

Alex working at the bench Image: Ben Rice

Shearing Scissors necklace, 2014, gold plated with silver blades Image: Alex Monroe

Diamond Eyebright ring, 2014, 18 carat gold and diamond Image: Alex Monroe

Born in Suffolk as one of five children, Alex Monroe grew up in a large house surrounded by fields near the River Orwell. Life was a childhood adventure spent building camps, racing down to the river with fishing rods and camping. It is little wonder that – from the beginning – nature has been a key inspiration in the creation of his jewellery.

Alex first entered the world of jewellery in the early 1980s when he joined the Sir John Cass College in London. He immediately fell in love with what he describes as the “romance of Hatton Garden” and was fascinated by the technical side of jewellery making. The team of expert tutors at the Cass gave him an enviable foundation in jewellery design and manufacturing. These tutors included Bob Rirsch, Syd Wickham, Roy Flewin, Robin Kyte, Howard Morgan and Howard Fenn.

The early 80s was the post-punk era and, in 1982, an exhibition, Jewelleryredefined:thefirstinternational exhibitionofmulti-medianon-preciousjewellerywas held at the British Craft Centre. This boundary-pushing exhibition challenged the perception of jewellery but was at odds with Alex’s ambition to make jewellery that people would want to wear. This proved to be a pivotal moment in Alex’s career.

In 1986, after graduating, Alex enrolled on the Royal College of Art’s innovative postgraduate course, DesignforBusiness. During his six months at the RCA, he was guided through the process of creating a five-year business plan. His first challenge was to carry out in-depth research of the high street, Bond Street and Hatton Garden markets. He needed to determine the route he wanted to go, the kind of jewellery he wanted to create, and also envisage who would wear it. Alex decided that he wanted to make affordable, well-made jewellery for people interested in fashion. From that point forward, it was simply a case of methodically working out the steps he needed to take in order to achieve his goal.

Alex’s business grew gradually. He started out by employing friends to help in the workshop then moved to a bigger unit as sales increased. Another pivotal moment came in 2001 when Alex exhibited at PremiereClasse,Paris. Word of his collections had preceded his arrival, and queues of Japanese buyers flocked to his stand even as it was being set up. He and three staff worked round the clock to log new orders –and the business took off.

In 2006, however, Alex reached crisis point. He was still selfemployed with lots of people working with him and running a very successful business. The long hours and intense work were taking a physical toll – and he decided to act.

Alex took the courageous decision to sell his house in Suffolk and to invest the money in his business. He set up a limited company and drafted in professionals to run it. Key to this change of structure was the employment of Emma Burgin, who was taken on as the company’s Sales and Press Manager and now is his Chief Executive Officer. As a consequence of Alex’s investment and restructure, the business was able to focus on the UK market, which has in recent years become as important as the overseas export market.

His love of Hatton Garden has never left him, and he is clearly just as excited by his work today as he always has been. Some designers are shy about selling their work, but Alex compares it to cooking a meal for a friend “an intimate exchange between humans, a chance for people to see what you are seeing”. He loves to share his joy for the making and designing of a piece as well as the story behind it. And he recognises that a piece of jewellery is deeply personal to the wearer.

Reflecting back on his career, Alex is amazed to acknowledge that his business has been running for 30 years. What of his plans for the next 30 years? Well, it is clear that Alex Monroe is a creative in the true sense of the word. It is embodied in his work, his business, his buildings, and his need to feel he is moving forward. He recognises the need to adapt in order for business to grow. In fact, at the time of writing, another new building is under construction near Tower Bridge. Due to open in early 2016, the new site will house his growing manufacturing base.

He describes jewellery as a “portable, wearable representation of something much bigger…”

The business course at the RCA culminated in a Dragon’s Den style experience where Alex presented his plans to a panel of bank managers, one of whom loaned him the money needed to start his business. Alex moved into the 401½ studios in Wandsworth where he spent the early years implementing the business strategy he had created at the RCA – a plan he has revised and maintained throughout his career.

At the outset, Alex targeted fashion retailers, steadfastly staying clear of a sale or return policy, after seeing at first hand the negative effect it can have on a young business. One of Alex’s central principles was that his jewellery should be worn, not treated as an investment or stuck behind glass in a gallery. He describes jewellery as “a portable, wearable representation of something much bigger” and believes that each wearer has a personal story attached to their jewellery. He feels a genuine responsibility to create wearable, highquality pieces that reflect this ethos.

From 1987 through to the mid-1990s, Alex partnered with fellow Cass student and emerging designer Sian Evans. They shared resources to show their respective collections at London Fashion Week and, later, Paris Fashion Week. Alex’s work was extremely well received by Japanese buyers, and this launched his export business.

The design of Alex’s building equally lends itself to the telling of this story. Alex uses its purpose-built spaces to show clients the workshops in which their pieces are made and where alterations or repairs can be carried out on the spot.

In 2013, Alex released his first book, TwoTurtleDoves, AMemoirofMakingThings,published by Bloomsbury.

He says: “It traces the intimate journey of an idea as it is transformed from a fleeting thought to an exquisite piece of jewellery, from the flight of an arrow through an English landscape to the buzz of a Paris fashion show.” The initial intention was not to publish a book but simply to create a eulogy to the joy of making things, to let the reader “smell and feel” what it is like to make something physical. But as the narrative took shape, a friend put him in touch with an agent and before long he was invited to the Bloomsbury offices where a contract was signed. Alex describes the process of book writing as being akin to that of learning a new craft. He mastered how to write and worked alongside an experienced editor who helped him to refine and to rework the language until it conveyed exactly what he wanted to express. The book won the East Anglian Book Awards 2014 and is longlisted for the New Angle Prize for Literature 2015.

Despite restructuring the business, Alex continues to have a hands-on approach. He designs every piece of jewellery and, importantly, ensures that quality is maintained. As a result, clients know they are buying a future heirloom of the highest excellence. Copies are an unfortunate part of the market, but Alex Monroe jewellery is handmade by skilled craftsmen to an unwaveringly high standard. This fact, backed up by the odd well-delivered letter, means that the Alex Monroe brand is unrivalled when it comes to beautiful, affordable and wellmade jewellery. He has achieved his ambition of designing pieces that everyone wants to wear.

Chantilly Lace keepsake locket, 2014, gold plated Image: Alex Monroe

Wild Posy Twist ring, 2014, 18 carat gold and diamonds Image: Alex Monroe

Forest Jewel ring, 2014, 18 carat gold and morganite Image: Alex Monroe

Dining in Style:

The Copeland Spode Connection

byChristopherJordan

The Spode Society was delighted, on a visit to Goldsmiths’ Hall last year, to discover the connection between the Goldsmiths’ Company and Spode, as its supplier of tableware, was wider than just that of purchase and supply. William Taylor Copeland (17971868) was a London businessman with many interests and was a major figure in the life of the Goldsmiths’ Company, joining the Court of Assistants on 24 October 1828 and becoming Prime Warden in 1837. In 1828 he had been elected Liberal MP for Coleraine, serving until 1832; Sheriff of London & Middlesex in 1828/9; and Lord Mayor of London in 1835. Later generations of the Copeland family were also members of the Goldsmiths’ Company. Today, he is remembered in the eastern wall of painted glass in the Livery Hall by Thomas Willement (1786-1871) – sometimes called the father of Victorian stained glass – which contains the arms of W. T. Copeland and other members of the Court of Assistants.

In 1824 William Taylor Copeland was given a quarter share in the Spode business and, following his father’s death, in partnership with his former London clerk Thomas Garrett, he acquired the remaining Spode family interests. Described as a potter and merchant, in 1833 Garrett himself was made a Freeman of the Company by redemption and was elected to the Livery in 1837. Trading as Copeland & Garrett, later Spode & Copeland (Porcelain, Earthenware and Glass Manufacturers), the partnership lasted until 1847 when William Taylor Copeland became sole proprietor. The company remained in Copeland family hands until 1966.

Selling goods to prestigious bodies, particularly when there was the opportunity to put one’s name on the back of the various flatware and vessels supplied, promoted future business. The armorials, which often adorned these wares, served a dual purpose: they were decorative but also demonstrative of ownership. ‘Goldsmiths Hall’, printed on the back, had the added virtue of stating ‘this is mine, do not steal it.’ Nevertheless, factory spares and other items are occasionally found on the antique market and are much sought after.

Competition amongst the Staffordshire companies was fierce, but an arrangement, once secured, often led to continuing business supplying replacements over many years. Livery Companies were important customers. Potters John and Richard Riley had supplied the Worshipful Company of Drapers in 1813, and Hicks, Meigh & Johnson the Salters in 1827. Many others, such as the Worshipful Company of Skinners (c.1825) and the Goldsmiths’ Company, were supplied by Spode well into the 20th century.

The Goldsmiths’ archive gives no indication as to who supplied its tableware prior to the 1820s. The Court Book for 1829 details ‘Spode & Copeland’ as suppliers of unspecified goods to the value of £241 17s 6d. It appears therefore that once W. T. Copeland began to take an active part in the life of the Company from the late 1820s his manufactory became the sole supplier of ceramics. Remarkably, some of these still survive despite over 180 years of use.

Most of the designs supplied used a stock border which might be found on other commercially produced wares, while the centre of each plate or the sides of a vessel, such as a sauce boat, might be adorned with the Company arms and motto. Although not complete, factory pattern books containing some 70,000 patterns from c.1794 up to the present still exist. It is possible, in many cases, to trace the original designs and, by comparison, see how they were eventually used on its wares.

The choice of the designs was restrained and timeless, many being commercially available into the 20th century.

A number of different designs were supplied over the years. These show that once a design was chosen it remained in use for decades, replacements and additions being added as and when necessary. New designs thereafter were a rarity, presumably on the grounds that the cost of entirely replacing the vast table services would have been prohibitive and only necessary if perhaps the wares in service were deemed old fashioned. In fact the choice of designs was restrained and timeless, many being commercially available into the 20th century when a dinner service with the full range of large serving platters and vessels was supplied using the c.1824 pattern number 3988.

Watercolour floral pattern (3988) from the Spode pattern book (below), with a dish, hand-painted and transfer-printed on stone china (left)

Portrait of William Taylor Copeland, 1835, by Mary Martha Pearson Image: Bonhams

Image: Courtesy of Spode Museum Trust

A later design with a pretty border of convolvulus flowers on stoneware called ‘Rustic’, introduced in c.1863 was used on later wares. The example depicted using this pattern is of a dinner plate. This has a combination of transfer printing and hand applied colours.

One of the most handsome items is this low mug, perhaps for coffee, and a sugar bowl or a slop basin. Both have very restrained decoration, as if made for today’s market. As on the dinner-wares, the Goldsmiths’ arms are applied as a transfer in brown. They are something of a curiosity as their age is uncertain. They are marked ‘Copeland late Spode’ and may date from the 1850s.

For some years from the 1820s, there was a fashion with several factories to imitate silver by making plates and saucers with a moulded gadrooned edge, often painted gold with a border colour to the customer’s taste. Spode supplied the Goldsmiths’ Company with this simple but impressive design for dessert plates with an apple green border and at the centre, on the very white porcelain ground, in full colour, the full grant of arms of the Company. This design was copied from the sample armorial which is still in the Very EarlyBadgeBook. It was used again up until the 1970s when replacements were still being made, but without the gilded band around the centre.

More decorative is the dark blue and gold design, pattern number 4325 introduced by Spode in c.1827. This pattern is shown on a saucer dish of this period. Whilst pleasing to look at, with extensive decoration in gold entirely by hand, the gilding in the well where the cup stands is impractical for frequent use because the surface-applied gilding rapidly wears away. In consequence, replacements a century later faithfully match the original border design but lack the central decoration. All carry the printed mark ‘Goldsmiths Hall’ on the reverse. In the 1850s dainty tea wares using the pretty and popular pattern ‘Lauriston’ were supplied. Again these were transfer-printed and hand-painted.

The latest design, specifically known to have been supplied by Spode for Goldsmiths’ Hall, was by Richard Guyatt (1914-2007), who was also consultant designer to Josiah Wedgwood & Sons from 1952-55. As Professor of Graphic Arts at the Royal College of Arts from 1948-78 and, later, its Rector from 1978-81, he is now regarded as a seminal figure in the post-war rejuvenation of British graphic design. His design for Goldsmiths’ Hall reflects the style of the early 1950s associated with the Festival of Britain in its combination of simplified pattern and eye-catching use of colour. Cleverly, Guyatt used a modern interpretation of the Company’s crest – the figure of justice – in outline only or with colour applied. Interestingly, although the applied design is modern and the cup form is fuller, in a happy amalgam of old and new, it retains the Etruscan-form handle popular from the 1820s as originally seen on the first cup design. The name derives from pottery excavations in the early 19th century, the serpentine form becoming a design icon.

As well as ceramics, Copeland & Garrett and, later,

Ornamental wares, purely for display, were also part of the firm’s repertoire. An undated black and white photograph from the archive illustrates two side tables in the Drawing Room, each adorned by a tall ceramic column and a pair of Copeland Parian Three Graces table centrepieces, each with pierced baskets on their heads. Copeland became renowned for its Parian ware which offers a finish like finely carved marble. The figures’ whereabouts are unknown and they may have been destroyed in the Second World War bombing of the Hall. The V & A has an example in its collections.

Besides this item, the photograph shows other ornate vessels on the mantelpiece and on side-tables. These are no longer in the collection. The archive contains a photograph of a magnificent Copeland ewer c.1851, one of the pair seen distantly on the far right table. A similar type is in the V & A British Galleries.

Guyatt’s design for the Goldsmiths’ Hall reflects the style of the early 1950s associated with the Festival of Britain.

Visits to the halls of City livery companies by special interest groups can enhance those companies’ knowledge of their own collections. It was reassuring to the Spode Society to see so much earthenware surviving and being put to regular use although the word ‘dishwasher’ sent visible tremors through the assembled group.

‘Rustic’ pattern (D3338), c. 1863, from Spode pattern book with dinner plate(left), hand-painted and transfer-printed on earthenware. Image: Courtesy of Spode Museum Trust

Goldsmiths’ Company coat of arms in watercolour, from Copeland & Garrett 1833 Badge Book, with dessert plate (left), hand-decorated porcelain. Image: Courtesy of Spode Museum Trust

Copeland late Spode mug and sugar bowl, post 1847, transfer print in brown on porcelain Image: Richard Valencia

Watercolour pattern (4325), c. 1827, for a cup and saucer(right), hand-decorated on porcelain.

A pair of Copeland Three Graces, c. 1850, in Parian ware, from an archive photograph taken

Copeland cups and saucers, designed by Professor Richard Guyatt, transfer-printed and hand-painted on porcelain.

Image: Courtesy of Spode Museum Trust

Studio Silver Today

Another remarkable series of events, organised by the Curator, drew to a close on 1 November last year when Belton House in Lincolnshire closed its doors on the StudioSilverToday exhibition featuring Angela Cork.

From adversity, extraordinary ideas can be born. StudioSilverTodayemerged from a proposal for a much bigger exhibition, along the lines of ‘Treasures of Today’, which was intended to take place in the Great Gallery at Dunham Massey. Unfortunately the property found it difficult to cope with this initiative alongside its normal opening arrangements. It was the brilliant idea of the Curator, Rosemary Ransome Wallis, to focus instead on an individual maker and to have them working in front of the visiting public.

In Rosemary’s words “the purpose of the series was firstly educational – to engage the public with silversmithing techniques and design, past and present, by choosing houses with excellent antique silver collections to complement and contrast with the artist-in-residence silversmith’s work on exhibition. Secondly the purpose was to widen the public appreciation of contemporary silver by engaging the interest of a new audience.”

In the selection of five houses (all with historic silver collections) – Dunham Massey; Kedleston; Ickworth; Erdigg and Belton – paired with five young contemporary silversmiths, the project has succeeded on all fronts. Visitors numbers increased at each of the sites and totalled well over half a million during the course of StudioSilverToday.

Smaller exhibition areas and workspaces were chosen to enable the silversmiths to display their own work and to make a silver beaker inspired by the house or grounds during their Saturdays in residence for the season. This commission from the Goldsmiths’ Company was given to the lucky winner of the free prize draw picked from the thousands of visitors’ entries at each of the five houses over a five-year period, from 2010-2014.

Image: National Trust

The Rotunda at Ickworth House (middle); Miriam Hanid with silver objects (bottom) and her tumbler Leaves of Gold (top)

Image: Robert Morris

Image: National Trust

Kedleston Hall (above); Theresa Nguyen (right) with her beaker Eastern Journeys (left)

Image: Robert Morris Image: Daniel Jones

Image: Robert Morris

Judging from the comments of the five silversmiths in residence, it was not only the visitors who gained a greater knowledge. James Rothwell, the National Trust’s Silver Specialist, and a key partner in the venture, wrote ‘The presence of SilverStudioToday also helped to draw the attention of house staff to their own collections, giving them a greater appreciation of what they have and of the craft, both historically and now’.

For the five silversmiths who were chosen – Shannon O’Neill, Theresa Nguyen, Miriam Hanid, Rauni Higson and Angela Cork – the experience was a profound one. All of them discovered, in different ways, how deeply connected they are to their craft. The surprise to the visiting public was that something beautiful could be made from a flat sheet of precious metal, before their very eyes, using a variety of tools and the skill of the craftsperson. People returned several times to see the progression of work; some reminisced, misty-eyed, of their grandparent’s shed; some were encouraged to take up a craft course or purchase a piece, and one person jumped when Rauni Higson moved, exclaiming “You are real!”

Speaking to complete strangers about one’s work and career can be difficult. However, in the silversmiths’ particular situations, conversations arose naturally. In explaining what they were doing, and receiving, in response, great encouragement and enthusiasm, all of the silversmiths realised why they were working in silver. Acting as ambassadors for their craft, a key element of Rosemary’s project, they fulfilled their brief. In James’ words ‘we unequivocally achieved the aim of promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of both the contemporary and historical craft.’ He added ‘the addition of the raffle brought an element of fun and the chance for a member of the public to own an individually designed beaker by one of the foremost young makers of the day.’

Perhaps the project can best be summed up by the words of the participating silversmiths:

‘Iwasdelightedandhonoured to be asked’

‘…theopportunityallowedmetogrow in confidence as an artist silversmith’

‘…thedrivethere(toIckworthHouse) wasatimeforreflectionandintegration ofmyworkandinspiration’

‘…atErdiggeveryonewassowarm andsupportive,likeafamily.There was lots of cake!’

‘…itwasalovelyexperience andthefeedbackIgotfromthe visitingpublicwaswonderful andquiteoverwhelming’

Image: Emma Williams

Dunham Massey Hall (above); Shannon O’Neill (left) at work on the design of her beaker (far left)

Image: Jamie Scott

Image: Jamie Scott

Image: Sylvain Deleu

Image: Jan Davis

Image: National Trust

Belton House (above); Angela Cork (left) working on the Balustrade beaker design (far left).

Image: National Trust

Erdigg House (bottom right); Rauni Higson (top right) chasing her beaker Sweet Pea (left)

Cherubs and protractors: estate plans

by John Ward

byDorianGerhold

One of the treasures of the Goldsmiths’ library and archive is the set of highly decorative plans of the Company’s London properties drawn in or about 1692 by John Ward. There are 18 plans, or 10 if plans covering the same areas are discounted. The most extensive of them show the Hall and nearby properties, the Great New Street area, Primrose Alley off Bishopsgate, and Jewin Street. They were commissioned in May 1691, and payment was made, in September 1693, for ‘Making a booke with draughts of the severall surveys.’ Some of the plans show signs of having been bound, though they are currently loose.

John Ward is not an easy name to trace, but Ward described himself on one of the plans as ‘surveyor & mathematicall professor in London.’ The latter meant simply that he taught mathematics, which usually included subjects such as navigation, gunnery, fortification and surveying. Surveyor and professor of mathematics was a common combination. This makes it almost certain that he was the John Ward who was a bestselling author of mathematical works. A date of birth, c.1648, is indicated by the age given underneath the portrait shown in his books, and a date of death, c.1727, by the fact that he was alive in 1723 and Ward’s Posthumous works… were published in 1730. In 1695 he described himself as formerly General Gauger of Excise (gauging was the calculation of the volume contained within particular containers, such as the number of gallons in a cask). In 1707 he published Theyoungmathematician’sguide;beingaplain andeasieintroductiontothemathematicks, which became one of the most popular maths textbooks of the Georgian period. By 1713 he had left London and was teaching mathematics in Chester.

Ward’s first surveying seems to have been for the Clothworkers’ Company. The plan book requested by the Company in 1690 never materialised, but, from 1691 to 1707, he was their surveyor, drawing plans (usually very basic ones) for some of their leases. He also drew several plans of rural estates. The plans of c.1692 are the only surveying he is recorded as carrying out for the Goldsmiths, though in 1693 the minutes described him as ‘the Companies surveyor’ and referred to ‘all other his services’. On the Goldsmiths’ plans, Ward was able to display his decorative talents to the full. Most have brightly-coloured coats of arms, cartouches, compass roses and scale bars, complete with cherubs and flowers. Several, especially that of Jewin Street, show his delight in gardens, with their floral borders and trees in pots. On the plan of the Horn Tavern, Fleet Street, he drew the dog in its kennel. On the plan of the Hall, he picked out the individual black and white floor tiles, and there are three attractive drawings by him of the inside and outside of the Hall; one of these provides a lively selection of street life, including a sedan chair, a pedlar, boys playing and a musician and dancer. He was less interested in the internal detail of houses, often omitting fireplaces, stairs and windows, whereas most other surveyors would have included at least fireplaces and stairs. The amount of detail for the houses varies not only between plans but within individual plans, suggesting that the Goldsmiths did not give definite instructions.

On the Goldsmiths’ plans, Ward was able to display his decorative talents to the full.

The Company paid Ward £130, a large sum but not out of line with contemporary payments to other surveyors. His plans were criticised in 1738 as ‘very imperfect’, in particular for omitting six of the Company’s houses in Great New Street, but this was a criticism of his ability to identify what the Company owned (a matter on which other companies provided help from their Clerk), rather than of his accuracy in measuring and drawing.

Several livery companies commissioned plan books in this period, but some with substantial estates did not, so a set of plans was evidently not essential for estate management. Ward’s plans were not used as the basis for determining leases, as the Goldsmiths rarely bothered with these. They were accompanied by a list of lessees, subtenants and property values, keyed to the numbers on the plans, but there was nothing about the terms of the leases and when they would expire, so the information was of limited value for estate management. It is hard to resist the conclusion that Ward’s plans were primarily a prestige item, intended to demonstrate the wealth and importance of the Goldsmiths’ Company.

Detail from John Ward’s plan of Primrose Alley and other alleys off Bishopsgate, c.1692.

Image: © The Trustees of the British Museum

When I joined the Goldsmiths’ Company in 2002, the Apprentice Scheme was somewhat in the doldrums. Low levels of applications and high levels of attrition meant that the outcomes which a programme of this calibre should be producing were not being achieved. Over the subsequent decade, changes were made to the scheme which, today, is at an all-time high in terms of apprentice numbers (32) covering a diverse range of industry disciplines. However, the most significant development of the scheme has taken place since the Goldsmiths’ Centre opened in 2012.

Historically many Goldsmiths’ Company apprentices developed their initial skills through the pre-apprentice course offered at the Sir John Cass College. A gradual decline in the provision of training, triggered by changes to the way universities were funded for these types of classes, meant that the pre-apprenticeship course closed, thus ending one significant route into the Goldsmiths’ Company scheme. When considering the Goldsmiths’ Centre project, one important aspect of the development of its curriculum was the re-creation of a supply of young people for the scheme. With a focus from the outset on traditional bench skills, drawing and employability, the Foundation Programme is the outcome. Today, this course offers up to 10 places for young people, aged 16-19, where they can prepare properly for a career in the craft and industry.

A firm foundation: the Goldsmiths’ Centre trainees

byPeterTaylor

Foundation trainees come to the Centre for one academic year, during which they develop a wide range of skills including silversmithing, small work, diamond mounting and setting, engraving and enamelling, as well as drawing, design and CAD. The objective of the course is to produce a well-rounded young craftsperson with the attitude and potential to develop into an Apprentice and even a Master of the future. Discipline is firm but fair; trainees are expected to wear their tunic, provided by sponsorship through the Goldsmiths’ Company Members’ Fund, and, whenever they are in a workshop environment, they are expected to concentrate on the task in hand. In this, they are undoubtedly helped by the quality of tuition that they receive. The Company is delighted that so many of the best craftspeople in the industry have agreed to pass on their skills to the trainees. The staff roll call is reminiscent of a Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council awards ceremony, and the visiting lecturers are complemented by industry professionals such as Kevin Wilson, the Centre’s technician/tutor, and Robin Kyte, who still has a role within the programme.

Foundation Programme students 2013-2014 at the Goldsmiths’ Centre Image: Julia Skupny

Work experience plays an important part in the programme, as the ultimate aim is to secure employment for the trainees within the industry, either as Goldsmiths’ Company apprentices or in other roles suitable for their development as craftspeople. Each of them undertakes a minimum of two weeks of placement within a workshop, either at the Centre or further afield in the south-east. This is timed to coincide with the quiet period in the New Year, and they are often offered further opportunities over the Easter period. This emphasis on progression has been the key to the success of the programme thus far, with a number of the trainees successfully securing places on the Company Scheme amongst other notable achievements.

Operationally to date, two cohorts of trainees have successfully completed the Foundation Programme and achieved a Level 2 City & Guilds qualification in Jewellery Manufacturing. Nine of them have progressed to Company apprenticeships with the remainder going onto other apprenticeships, jobs and further training within the industry.

Of those in Company apprenticeships, whilst most have followed the well-trodden route into diamond mounting, others have trained as silversmiths and polishers, both skills that are in great demand at the moment.

Abigail Buckingham first came to see me at Goldsmiths’ Hall when she was still at senior school. The daughter of a silversmith, Abigail had grown up around her father’s workshop, and this was evident when she joined the very first Foundation year. A natural draughtswoman, Abigail had excellent drawing and creative skills as well as an eye for detail and well-developed hand skills. From the outset she was the trainee to beat, combining natural ability with a focused approach to her work. Some of the pieces that she produced on the Foundation programme were exceptional, and her overall standard of work was very high indeed.

As a result, Abigail, along with Hugo Johnson, was the inaugural winner of the Benvenuto Cellini Award, a prize sponsored by Adam Munthe that recognises the best trainee or trainees of the year at the Goldsmiths’ Centre. She then went on to win a City & Guilds Medal of Excellence, awarded to City & Guilds learners who go above and beyond what is expected of them and produce exceptional results.

Bound to her father as an apprentice, Abigail continues to develop as a fine craftsperson and designer. Since completing her course, she has jointly won an international design competition, entered and achieved commendations at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Competition (including a recent Silver Award for a brooch in the Diamond Mounter Juniors section). In her spare time she continues to develop as a fine engraver. Although her natural talent has led her to success, her time at the Centre has broadened and deepened her knowledge and experience, and she will develop, even more quickly, into the designer and maker that she is undoubtedly capable of being.

With no connection to the craft, Hugo Johnson knew that he wanted to be a diamond mounter after undertaking work experience with Richard Talman (RTFJ Ltd.). He told me so when I met him for the first time at the International Jewellery London Show when he was 15 years old. Hugo was in the first year of the Foundation Programme and from the outset, displayed a natural flair for the craft. He brought maturity to the workshop, probably gained as a result of his Taekwondo training, and worked ceaselessly to achieve the best possible outcome during his time there. This effort paid off, and at the end of his year he was rewarded with the Benvenuto Cellini Award, the Centre’s premier award for craftsmanship. Hugo then went on to be formally bound as an apprentice under Richard Talman – and he has not looked back.

Hugo was commended in the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Competition for his diamond mounting and spoke on behalf of the Goldsmiths’ Company at an event at the House of Commons. He is a potential candidate for the World Skills Competition in Sao Paulo in Brazil in 2015. He is a fantastic ambassador for the Goldsmiths’ Company and the Centre. Hugo epitomises what the Company’s support for the craft is all about. One only has to spend a very small amount of time with him to realise that he is a very special young man indeed.

Finally I would like to reflect on Barney Bowes, a young man who, in October 2014, was bound to his master at Asprey as a silver polisher. Barney is not academic in his aptitude but has grit and determination and whilst he was not the strongest Foundation Trainee, there is something remarkable about this young man that endeared him to both the staff and his fellow trainees. Throughout his time at the Centre, he worked diligently and with application to the extent that he received a special award from the staff at the Centre which recognised his commitment and the progress that he had made during his time. Not able immediately to secure an apprenticeship, Barney’s journey epitomises the unique nature of the Goldsmiths’ Centre. The team worked tirelessly to identify a place for Barney to continue his career within the sector, and it was an absolute delight for all concerned when he ultimately secured an apprenticeship in a highly skilled branch of the craft perfectly suited to his natural talent and ability.

Work

experience plays an important part in the programme, as the ultimate aim is to secure employment for the trainees…

In developing the Foundation Programme, the Company’s original aim was to create a supply of young talent for the Apprenticeship Scheme which drew on the track record and experience of the pre-apprenticeship programme offered by the Sir John Cass College. In reality that brief has been exceeded by creating a programme here at the Centre that respects this historical approach but also brings it up-to-date. The Foundation Trainees are now increasingly in demand, with employers recognising the value of the rounded technical and professional education being offered by the Goldsmiths’ Centre. No one can claim that any of the young people who complete the course are the finished article, but they are certainly a credit to themselves, the Centre and, ultimately, the Goldsmiths’ Company, without which this programme would not exist.

Abigail Buckingham with her City & Guilds Medal of Excellence Image: Julia Skupny

Hugo Johnson speaking at the Crafts Council Education Manifesto launch at the House of Commons Image: Sophie Mutevelian

Brooch, 2015, silver, by Abigail Buckingham Image: Richard Valencia

Jennifer Bloy (right) helping trainee Helen Stride with her presentation drawing skills Image: Warren King Photography

The Young Designer Silversmith Award

byJuliaSkilton

The Young Designer Silversmith Award was a prestigious award, given by the Goldsmiths’ Company between 1994-2013, to encourage contemporary studio silver design and dexterity of craftsmanship. Last autumn, after the completion of the Award, the initiative was celebrated with an exhibition at Goldsmiths’ Hall. The exhibition featured all 19 awardwinning pieces, loaned from nine museums across the UK. At the Private View, 10 of the award winners attended, together with their mentors, creating a joyous reunion enjoyed by all. Indeed, there was much to celebrate.

The scheme was initiated in 1994 by the Company’s Curator, Rosemary Ransome Wallis, as a way to give core support to a young rising star silversmith. Formed as a national annual design competition, the award was targeted at BA and MA art college silversmithing students. The Curator selected colleges after a nationwide survey which revealed that financial cutbacks were causing a reduction in the teaching of technical craft skills and creating a greater emphasis on design. Each college interpreted the award differently. Some, such as Glasgow School of Art, incorporated the award into its curriculum, whereas other colleges encouraged students to apply as an additional personal project. As a result, the quantity of entries varied between colleges.

The Goldsmiths’ Company’s panel of judges was chaired by a member of the Court of Assistants and included eminent designers and artist silversmiths, art historians and gallery directors to reflect a broad knowledge and skill base. Those judges included: Professor Richard Himsworth, Clive Burr, Annamarie Stapleton, Grant Macdonald, Rod Kelly, Martin Drury, Sir Simon Hornby, Sir Nigel Broackes, William Parente, Tony Bedford, Amanda Game and Gerald Benney.

Each year, the judges chose a winning student and a second prize winner, as well as awarding commendations to deserving entries. The 19 winning students were, in chronological order from 1994-2013: Sian Puckrin, Shannon O’Neill*, Suna Thompson, Robert Fowler, Marion Kane*, Douglas Blair*, Jennifer Paterson*, Sidsel Dorph-Jensen*, William Lee*, Helen Gaffney, Theresa Nguyen*, Karen Simpson, Leah Black*, Musa Butt*, Haruka Usui, Ben Ryan*, Shaun Grace*, Kate Earlam* and Kyosun Jung* (those with an asterisk are still practicing silversmiths or jewellers).

The winning student was placed in a designer silversmith’s workshop and mentored by a master craftsman to make up the competition design in silver. This provided invaluable experience for the students to help develop their skills. The host workshops who generously gave their time and support were: Grant Macdonald, Hector Miller, Richard Fox, Clive Burr, Howard Fenn, Steven Ottewill, Padgham and Putland, Naylor Bros, Wakely and Wheeler and Richard Cook.

The

winning student was placed in a designer silversmith’s workshop and mentored by a master craftsman

The finished silver item was then presented by the Prime Warden, to the museum which was nearest to the winning student’s college. The nine museums were: Aberdeen Art Gallery, Manchester City Galleries, Leicestershire County Council Museums, Glasgow Museums, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham Castle Museum, National Museum Wales and National Museums Scotland.

This patronage by the Goldsmiths’ Company represented both a significant milestone in the student’s career, as well as supporting the acquisition of contemporary silver by national museums. Many museums had a very small budget for such acquisitions.

In addition to the formative experience of being in a workshop and the prestige of having work displayed in a national museum, the winning student also received a certificate to display at exhibitions such as New Designers, as well as personal prize money of £500. Ultimately, the student received the encouragement to enter further competitions and to excel in their degree course and early career.

The winner’s college was presented with a plaque designed by Keith Redfern and engraved by Stanley Reece, to keep for the following year. This recognition undoubtedly supported the application of many colleges to become universities.

The success of the award has been widespread. However it is the student/ mentor relationship that has created a significant long-lasting benefit, and this has inspired the new scheme which has now replaced the Young Designer Silversmith Award. This new scheme involves the award of Master Craftsmen Internships, enabling mature as well as younger silversmiths to benefit from the skills of experienced makers – but that is another story!

YDSA winners with workshop hosts and Company staff Image: Jemima Carter-Lewis

Last autumn,Goldsmiths’Fair enteredits32ndyearwithanew team,anambitiousnewstrategy andbighopesforthefuture.Bythe endofthetwo-weekevent,Goldsmiths’ Hallhadattractedmorethan9,700 visitors,up9%on2013,andexhibitors hadsoldmorethanonemillionpounds worthofjewelleryandsilver.Here,the Goldsmiths’Company’sDirectorof Communications&Marketing,David Mills,reflectsonhisfirstyearincharge ofGoldsmiths’Fairandconsidersthe challengeswhichlieahead.

Goldsmiths’ Fair: The Future

What makes Goldsmiths’ Fairspecial?

The Fair showcases the most exciting developments in gold and silversmithing in Britain today. Goldsmiths’ Hall becomes a temple to cutting-edge design and exquisite craftsmanship. This is part of what makes the Fair unique and so fascinating, but no less important is the interaction it fosters between buyers and makers. Last year, almost 10,000 people visited Goldsmiths’ Fair, and the vast majority would have had a conversation with at least one jeweller or silversmith, often whilst trying on jewellery or inspecting a wonderful piece of silver. The Fair generates an enormous amount of enthusiasm and knowledge which leads to sales and commissions long after the doors have closed.

Goldsmiths’Hallisquitea setting.Howmuchofanasset is it to the Fair and what challengesdoesitpose?

The Hall is, of course, a tremendous asset. It helps to create a unique shopping experience and sets the right tone for buying exquisite works of art.

That is not to say that our beloved building does not pose challenges. Outside, the building is very imposing, and last year we made a big effort to make it more welcoming with beautifully designed banners and a flag. But the bigger challenge lies within, where the architectural detail is so ornate that it risks distracting attention away from the exhibitors and their work. In years gone by, the livery hall could be a little overwhelming. Last year, we introduced a more spacious layout, fresh white stands and a neutral carpet (more important than you might think) and the effect was dramatic. Visitors could still enjoy the building, but we put the focus firmly back on the jewellery and silver. Feedback from visitors and exhibitors was excellent, and I think everyone here is agreed that there is no going back, although inevitably there will be some tweaks here and there.

Lastyear,forthefirsttime,you invitedadesignicontoguest curate a showcase within the Fair.What was the aim of this newproject?

Goldsmiths’ Fair is very well known by contemporary jewellery and silver collectors and enthusiasts. But we saw a pressing need to reach out to a wider design-conscious audience, and the best way to do this seemed to be to invite a high profile individual to select their highlight pieces from the Fair. Ideally we wanted someone from outside the trade but with exceptional design credentials. The architect, Zaha Hadid, fitted the bill perfectly; she was our first choice and we were delighted to gain her support. Her showcase looked sensational and acted as an immediate talking point on entry. It also drove a great deal of business to the 21 makers whose work she selected and generated energy which benefitted all exhibitors.

This year we’re proud to announce that Julia Peyton-Jones, Co-Director of the Serpentine Gallery will be our Guest Curator. As the head of one of the UK’s most celebrated galleries I’m sure she’ll have a compelling perspective on the work shown at Goldsmiths’ Fair. I can’t wait to see what pieces she chooses as her favourites!”

You mentioned the Fair’s role inpromotingknowledge.Is thiswhatinspiredlastyear’s eventsprogramme?

Knowledge is very effectively shared over an exhibitor’s stand, and long may that continue. We simply wanted to support this by offering a special forum, sheltered from the hubbub of the Fair, where exhibitors and other experts could offer advice and inspiration to visitors, both during Breakfast Talks (immediately before the Fair opens) and at drop-in ‘In Conversation’ sessions. Last year was the first time that Goldsmiths’ Fair had offered a programme of talks, and we were delighted that so many respected speakers took part and that so many people came to listen. This is definitely something that we will continue, and we now have an even clearer idea of the hot topics to target, including the mysteries of gemstones. Once confirmed, this year’s talks will be listed on the Goldsmiths’ Fair website, where we recommend visitors book tickets for Breakfast Talks in advance.

Isitachallengedrawingpeople awayfrombig-nameluxurybrands onthehighstreet?DoestheFair need to do this?

Yes and no. We have to accept that many consumers simply love big brands and are not that interested in things like design originality, traceability, interaction with makers, hand-skills or ‘Made in Britain’. We are unable to convert everyone, but there are many design-conscious individuals who buy clothes and furniture, for example, direct from independent makers but who do not know how to escape the high-street when buying jewellery. The Fair absolutely needs to attract, educate, inspire and retain these people. Of course, the event has been doing this, in one way or another, from year one, but I think 2014 saw major progress. We placed a stronger emphasis on cuttingedge design, created a much more contemporary look in the Hall and in our marketing; we created a stunning new website, harnessed social media, brought together a team of passionate ambassadors, and advertised more widely. It was an experiment and it paid off. We welcomed many more first-time visitors and dozens of exhibitors told us that they had sold to new clients including thirty-and fortysomethings, previously under-represented age groups. Eight-time exhibitor Tom Rucker reported that 2014 was “one of my best years and added the most new clients to my database” while Ornella Iannuzzi told us “the Fair has a dramatic impact on my sales, and I have had some really good contact with new clients, which I am very excited about!” This was, of course, music to our ears.

Zaha Hadid Image: Brigitte Lacombe

Aerial shot of the Livery Hall

TheFairhasalwaysfeatured silversmithsalongsidejewellers. Is that set to continue?

Whyisitimportant?

In recent years about one third of our exhibitors have been silversmiths, and we would like to maintain that ratio. Britain is a world leader in contemporary silversmithing, and the quality of work that we showcase is extraordinary. Whilst jewellers have to battle fierce competition in their market, silversmiths face an even bigger challenge. Most people own jewellery, very few own a silver vase or whisky tumbler. In the 18th and 19th centuries, middle-class and elite homes could not do without silverware. Times have changed, but so has the trade. Silversmiths are making pieces that complement 21st century lifestyles and which satisfy contemporary tastes. Goldsmiths’ Fair plays a crucial role in communicating this aspect. Last year, the Sheffield-based silversmith Christopher Perry, an experienced Fair exhibitor, sold several pieces to individuals who had virtually no awareness of a contemporary British silver scene, let alone made purchases before. Christopher makes sensational pieces, and he knows how to inspire people, not least by demonstrating his spherical pepper grinder. We actively encourage graduate silversmiths to apply for our Bursary Scheme, and we were delighted to see Hamish Dobbie and Benjamin Ryan enjoy so much success during, and since, last year’s event. Hamish used his curtain call to sell his centrepiece, a stunning vase, as well as to take two big commissions all from the same collector. There has been a steep decline in silversmithing courses in the UK, but we are still producing great talent. As organisers of the Fair, we obviously want to do everything we can to ensure that this continues. If we present the best, we will win people over. It is as simple as that.

Whatwasyourfavouritemoment fromlastyear’sFair?

Watching crowds gather around our guest curator’s showcase and seeing that enthusiasm ripple through the entire Fair was really exciting. By the end of each week, everyone is pretty exhausted but we have a very convivial send-off; hearing about great sales figures, new contacts and commissions is hugely satisfying – and a relief! Last year, it was particularly pleasing to see all ten graduate exhibitors succeed in a big way. And since the Fair, we have heard from many of them telling us how this success has helped them to develop their businesses. Heather McDermott told us “I have been contacted by several galleries that saw me at the Fair, and the event has encouraged me to pursue a finer range within my practice.”

Over the years, the Fair has attracted quite a few celebrities. Last year, we were surprised and delighted to welcome the artists Gilbert & George. They came to support one of our firsttime exhibitors, the exciting Italian jeweller Mara Irsara, who happens to be Gilbert’s niece. They seemed to really enjoy the creative spirit as well as the building – George expressed his admiration for Philip Hardwick, the architect of Goldsmiths’ Hall.

Howdoyouseethefuturepanning out for Goldsmiths’Fair?

In the short to medium term, growing confidence in the economy should help us to increase sales. I also expect that more ‘big ticket’ items will sell over the next few years. There were encouraging signs of this beginning to happen last year.

I think there is a very gradual consumer movement away from big brands towards a more personalised, distinctive and traceable shopping experience. It is our job to nurture that trend, but we can only do so by working with our exhibitors, who have become much savvier in recent years with their product lines, presentation, marketing and social media. Goldsmiths’ Fair is a team effort involving well over 200 people.

I am confident that the Fair will benefit from growing overseas interest in British-designed luxury goods. This is a gradual process because big brands still carry a lot of weight in China and Dubai, for instance. But opportunities are springing up. You only need to look at the appeal of Jack Row’s fountain pens in the Middle East. Last year we made a conscious effort to encourage Chinese ex-pats in London to explore and engage with the Fair. An evening event organised with the Bank of China gave us great hope for the future. A few sales were made, and several exhibitors have noticed Chinese traffic to their websites increase significantly since the Fair. There is much more to be done, but the Fair clearly deserves an even bigger global reach. This year it will run from 11 September to 4 October 2015.

Christopher Perry

Heather McDermott

Ruth Tomlinson

Tom Rucker

Vase by Hamish Dobbie

leopard’s head

byJaneNead

The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office put down its roots at Goldsmiths’ Hall more than 700 years ago. The first of its kind, it has grown from testing a relatively small number of articles in the 14th century to handling more than three million articles in 2014.

The changing face of the industry means that technological developments in assaying, marking and laboratory testing are both necessary and inevitable. Whilst the Office is steeped in tradition, with staff who between them number hundreds of years of knowledge and expertise, it is also an organisation which is continually moving with the times, to meet both the demands of modern-day production and the needs of the customer.

The leopard’s head was first used in 1300 as the King’s mark of authentication. It was introduced by Edward I to protect and preserve the standards of gold and silver wares, and the mark itself was taken from the three lions passant on the Royal Arms (a ‘leo part’ being a lion full face).

The image of the ‘leo part’ was first altered in 1478 when a crown was added in order to differentiate between articles marked before and after this date. At this time, the Goldsmiths’ Company appointed its first Common Assayer, Christopher Elyot, and goldand silversmiths were required to bring their wares to Goldsmiths’ Hall to receive the mark of the Hall. It is from this date that the word ‘hallmarking’ enters the English language – with its connotations of quality and excellence. The mark remained a crowned lion with variations in its face, which was usually shaggy, and in the crown, as new engravers were employed. However, in 1822 the crown was dropped – and the lion begins its transformation into a leopard.

Whilst the leopard’s head mark has evolved over time, the most pronounced change has been in clarity and detail. It is a development one might expect, given that the early punches would have been made entirely by hand. In fact, advances in the technology used to create punches will be instrumental in taking the leopard’s head into the 21st Century with crisper, clearer marks and the introduction of the first ‘real’ threedimensional laser mark.

All punches and support tools used by the Assay Office are made in-house by the Engineering Services Department – a necessity these days due to a reduction in the number of UK workers possessing the required skills. The department is a hidden gem run by Pat Geary and his team of talented engineers – Simon Jones, James Richardson and Daniel Love – and it is also responsible for the maintenance of all machinery, ensuring the smoothrunning of the hallmarking production process.

Punch-making is a highly-skilled craft, which is carried out using a combination of machining of a blank, engraving with a pantograph or laser and finishing by hand. It begins by manufacturing a steel blank into which four hallmark panels are cut. Before the panels can be engraved, the material surrounding them must be removed. The introduction of a CNC Milling Machine in 2014 speeded up a timeconsuming process and now, once the outline of the panels is programmed into the computer, the machine quickly cuts away the surrounding material. Pat and his team are constantly testing the technology to find more efficient ways of carrying out tasks, including creating steel supports that will allow the machine to cut four punches at a time!

The next stage in the process is to engrave each individual hallmark panel. Traditionally, a pantograph was used. The pantograph has two arms: one is guided by the engineer (the stylus) and follows the master pattern, the other recreates the movements with a cutting tool (the spindle), producing a scaled-down replica of the master at a ratio ranging from 1.5:1 to 10:1. By lifting up and over sections (the z-axis), engraving in a third direction can be carried out to create 3D relief and a highly detailed mark.

In 2011, lasers were introduced for engraving. The fine beam width makes them ideal for engraving smaller marks, as a light beam is finer than the radius of a cutting tool which also wears down over time. The laser is also less labour intensive as several punches (up to 24) can be loaded into the laser to be made automatically without the need for an operator. Pantograph engraving is still used to produce punches for large marks as it is more efficient for the removal of large quantities of material.

When the engineers moved to laser punch manufacturing, all of the masters for the marks were scanned as 3D images. These images were then converted into artwork that could be read by the new laser machine. The laser rasters across the surface of the punch blank like a TV image. A smooth, 3D topography is built up as the beam cuts in thousands of ultra-thin layers. Once the panels are engraved, the punch is finished by hand, hardened, cleaned and polished and then checked under a microscope.

If a punch is not perfectly made, the hallmark will never be perfect.

The combination of using the latest technology alongside traditional skills to make punches is an incredible achievement. Pat and his team are dedicated to improving every stage of the manufacturing process, assuring quality of tools and punches and thus, the ultimate quality of the mark. But why stop with punch manufacturing? The experience gained during the punch project gave Pat and Will Evans, the Systems Development Manager, an insight into how the new technology could make a significant difference to the quality of hallmarks applied using a laser.

Laser hallmarking was introduced in the late 1990s; it now accounts for around 50% of all items hallmarked. The main reason for its success is that laser marking is an etching process which does not involve mechanical movement of the metal. The propensity for damage is eliminated, making it ideal for fragile, hollow, stone-set and mixed-metal pieces. The timing of its introduction could also not have been better. Around 90% of all items submitted to the Assay Office are now imported, reflecting the growth in recent years in companies manufacturing or sourcing jewellery in the Far East and Thailand. Historically, unfinished items were sent in by skilled silversmiths for hand marking and an integral part of the making process was the manual ‘setting back’ and polishing of the marked item. The trained silversmiths, who would have carried out these finishing operations, have been replaced by importers and middle men with no silversmithing skills. The articles arrive in a finished condition and the non-destructive nature of laser marking is thus perfect for them.

The leopard’s head was first used in 1300 as the King’s mark of authentication.

An increasingly popular benefit of laser marking is the ability for customers to apply customised logos and personalisation and the option to mark at any size, rather than being restricted to the size of their punch.

Laser at work Image: Julia Skupny

A master type set up on the pantograph machine Image: Julia Skupny

Entry from the First Book of Ordinances, 1478, relating to the leopard’s head crowned mark Image: Julia Skupny

Pantograph in use Image: Julia Skupny

The changing face of the leopard

The oldest laser machines used in hallmarking production are really only suitable for large display marks – the beam is powerful and has a high tolerance on curves, but it is too wide for small marks. The increasing requirement to mark imported jewellery, where marks needed to be smaller, led to the purchase of machines with finer beam qualities. However, both generations of machines were only capable of producing marks in two dimensions. By extending the two dimension mark into a third dimension to create a 2D+ mark, or ‘deep laser mark’ as it is termed, a three dimensional effect can be created. This inability to create a full three dimensional mark has led many customers to consider a laser mark as inferior to a struck mark. Fortunately, with their knowledge of the potential offered by new laser technology, Pat and Will saw an opportunity to bring laser marks up to the same standard.

Will and Pat worked with Acsys, the company which had supplied the Engineering Department’s laser, to purchase four new machines that are specifically designed for jewellery and small items. The machines, which are significantly smaller overall, have a much finer beam and can create a more detailed image, thereby improving the quality of smaller marks and ensuring it is no longer the customer’s second choice. Laser beams engrave by plotting straight lines from fixed points (nodes). The fine beam on the new lasers means that nodes can be plotted closer together, which creates finer detail and the impression of a smoother curve. More importantly, the artwork derived from a 3D scan produces node-to-node contour patterns that enable the lasers to engrave in relief, without compromising on detail. It is this capability which has led to the creation of a genuine three dimensional laser mark with the quality and clarity of a struck mark, regardless of its size

It is an enormous project; the artwork library created by Pat and his team has first of all to be inverted so that the lasers cut the design into the metal (to create the mark) rather than out of it (to create the punch). Once the scans have been successfully inverted, three dimensional artwork files have to be created and imported to create a virtual punch with four to five panels, just like the steel punches made by Pat and his team.

As it is such a lengthy process, it will be offered to customers as a special, added value service and the Deputy Warden, Robert Organ, expects it initially to appeal to a small number of contemporary designers. However, Robert envisages that the service will increase in popularity as the demand for laser marking continues to grow. Whilst there will always be a requirement for the unique, skilled craft of hand marking, it is his contention that contemporary and cutting-edge designers will favour the advantages that modern laser technology has to offer.

These exciting developments look set to have a lasting effect on the entire hallmarking process – from the common artwork that is used in the creation of punches and laser marks, to the wholesale improvement in the quality of every mark (whether struck or lasered) and the inception of a genuine three dimensional laser mark. The new technology will surely blur the lines between the two techniques, giving customers a greater choice and better overall quality. And there is no doubt that Will, Pat and his team will continue to search for new ways to improve the manufacturing and production process, bringing the leopard’s head into the 21st century and ensuring that it endures for another 700 years.

Single leopard’s head punches

Robert Organ and Alison Byne at Make your Mark, 2015 Image: Julia Skupny

Clerk’s Report

By DickMelly

The pace of life at Goldsmiths’ Hall remains unremitting, albeit the year has been a period of consolidation following the organisational changes towards the end of 2013.

Over the last twelve months there have been no more elections to the Court but, very sadly, the Company has lost two much respected Assistants. In June 2014, Sir Hugo Huntington-Whiteley (Prime Warden 1989/90) passed away; he had not been active in the Company’s affairs for some years but was a true gentleman and is much missed. In March 2015, Sir Alfred William (Jerry) Wiggin TD (Prime Warden 2006/07) died unexpectedly. Importantly, as a Member of Parliament, Sir Jerry promoted the 1973 Hallmarking Act which set the scene in this key area for the Company for over 40 years. More recently, Sir Jerry chaired the Assay Office Management Committee and the House Committee. A significant and frequent contributor to the Court’s debates, he too will be much missed.

On a more positive note, Miss Judy Lowe became the Company’s first female Fourth Warden in May 2014, and she is on track to become the Prime Warden in 2017. Mr David Peake stood down from active consideration of the Company’s affairs in March 2015; a wise, hard-working and fully supportive member of the Court, he was latterly the Chairman of the Charity Committee for a decade and, on occasions, a key member of the Investment Committee.

The work of the Court of course underpins all aspects of the Company’s affairs. The changes in recent years to the governance arrangements have included: Assistants ‘retiring’ on attaining the age of 80; the introduction of a corporate trustee for the Company’s charities; a reduction in the number of Court meetings; and changes to the way that Court meetings are conducted. In addition to meeting the various statutory and regulatory requirements, such as approving the accounts of the various entities, the Court is also the final arbiter on the various departmental budgets. Each department is overseen by the relevant committee, and each committee chairman is delegated a budget by the Court to enable the various approved outputs to be delivered. The Company’s corporate and charitable finances are projected three years ahead, meaning that, in March this year, the Court will approve the budgets for the year starting on 31 March 2015 and also the outline budgets for the following two years. This permits the appropriate programming of higher cost issues, particularly pertaining to the maintenance of the fabric of the Hall, and also informs some of the more strategic issues which are periodically confronted. This process worked particularly well in 2008 as the recession bit and the Company’s income, both corporate and charitable, dipped, permitting key programmes (such as the Goldsmiths’ Centre and the apprenticeships) to be protected and the more discretionary funding adjusted.

The Company has weathered the financial storm of the last seven or so years in robust fashion. Whilst some budgets and outputs were immediately pared back in 2008, the charitable expenditure in particular remained under pressure with annual expenditure routinely exceeding income. With the Goldsmiths’ Centre opening for business in February 2012, this unsatisfactory situation was addressed primarily through the difficult decision, taken in 2013, to cease the routine staging of public exhibitions at the Hall; as a result, the principal charity is now operating ‘in the black’. However, whilst the capital value of the endowment has recovered to its pre-recession level, income remains depressed by approximately 15% as a result of near record low interest rates and bond yields.

On the corporate side, the situation was very similar, but with two significant differences: the Assay Office; and the property portfolio. The Assay Office found itself in difficult circumstances at a time when the total market for hallmarking dropped from 35 million articles in 2005 to a low point of 9 million articles. Such a marked reduction in throughput would have had serious consequences for the Assay Office’s finances if it had not been for the ability to diversify, particularly into the smelting side of the business. Nevertheless, some painful decisions were necessarily taken, including the downsizing of the staff. On a more positive note, the Company is fortunate to be endowed with a valuable property portfolio. Whilst the stock market investments and associated incomes were battered in the financial storm, the property income, in the form of rents, remained stable – and even increased as the New Street Square properties became income earning following the redevelopment of that site. Indeed, property continues to be the bedrock of the Company’s corporate assets, and further developments in this area should markedly strengthen the Company’s overall financial position towards the end of this decade.

The maintenance of the Hall, a Grade I Listed Building, is a particularly interesting challenge. Built to a Hardwick design in 1835, many of the features are original and require careful and regular attention. To ensure that changes to the building are sympathetic to the original design and meet the strictures of those organisations responsible for authorising such works, the Company engages a Consultant Architect. For the past 11 years, this task has diligently been undertaken by Mr Rodney Melville who will stand down from this task in September of this year. As well as bringing an informed, measured, and highly professional view to the House Committee’s deliberations, he found the time to act as one of the founding Trustees of the Goldsmiths’ Centre where, once again, his knowledge around the refurbishment of Listed Buildings proved invaluable. His replacement as Consultant Architect will be Nick Cox of Nick Cox Architects.

The work of the Court of course underpins all aspects of the Company’s affairs.

Over the last few years, a programme of replacing the carpets in the public and communal areas has been pursued; of particular note is the new carpet in the Drawing Room which faithfully replicates the design of the original carpet and is reputed to be the largest hand woven carpet made for this country in 100 years. Larger works are carefully planned to ensure that the costs are spread, but at some point in the next decade it will prove necessary to tackle the major task of externally redecorating the Hall’s windows, necessitating the scaffolding of the entire building. An exacting challenge when intrusive work is contemplated is the need to anticipate the presence of asbestos; whilst much asbestos has already been removed from the building, and a register of spaces known to incorporate asbestos is maintained, its presence must always be assumed. A particular case in point has been during the recent preparations for the provision of a lady Assistants cloakroom in what is currently designated as the Library Annexe. Extensive quantities of asbestos were discovered in the construction of the existing mezzanine floor, leading to lengthy periods of disruption to the Library’s activities whilst the material was removed. A further shortfall in the Hall’s design relates to air-conditioning – or rather the lack of air-conditioning. Whilst some of the communal areas and the Assay Office are now suitably equipped to cope with seasonally hot weather, the public rooms remain a particular challenge. A partial solution to the problem has been achieved by leading the output of a redundant Assay Office air conditioning plant on the roof, via a large insulated flexible hose, to the central rose in the ceiling of the livery hall; the result is that cold air now percolates downwards when required, reducing the ambient temperature by two or three degrees – and the central chandelier can be seen to shimmer with the movement of the air. During the winter months, the arrangement, of which Heath Robinson would have been proud, is dismantled and the roof made weather tight!

The activities of the various departments, in delivering the support to the trade and meeting the Company’s wider objects, are outlined in more depth in the various departmental reports which follow in this Review. However, from the Clerk’s perspective there are three areas of change which are worthy of mention. The new Communications & Marketing Department, which replaced the former Promotion Department, has found its feet under the leadership of David Mills and with oversight from the Department’s chairman, Mr Michael Prideaux. Particular achievements in the first year have been the delivery of a refreshed Goldsmiths’ Fair and developments to the Company’s presence on the web and in social media, including the introduction of an entirely new website for The Goldsmiths’ Directory (a much improved version of the former Who’s Who in Gold & Silver). Meanwhile, the Accounts Department has flourished following its reorganisation. The high calibre of the new staff members has had a very real impact, and much progress has been made by introducing improved systems and processes and, in particular, by setting up the Centre’s financial management arrangements. The third area of activity which deserves noting is the efforts, under the watchful eye of the Deputy Clerk, to include the membership in more of the Company’s activities. In addition to the normal round of Livery Dinners, Freemen’s Receptions, the Livery Concert and Luncheon Club events, a number of visits and briefings have also been arranged by Nick Harland. The opportunities for the membership to become involved are considerable, with events in 2014 ranging from sailing to golfing to flying with 30 Squadron RAF in a C130 down to the Bristol Channel. There are also openings to assist more directly with the running of the Company’s committees and trustee boards, and the Deputy Clerk is always pleased to learn of individuals keen to contribute. The Membership Charitable Fund continues to grow, with some remarkable instances of generosity apparent. The establishment of this fund recognises that all of the Company’s charitable and corporate endowments are the result of the munificence of earlier generations of goldsmiths, and the funds raised from the current generation of the members will contribute to the overall grant making effort and will be disbursed in their entirety.

Following this swift canter through some aspects of the Company’s affairs, it only remains for me, once again, to acknowledge the remarkable role played by the Court in providing guidance and leadership to the staff, and to commend my colleagues at the Hall, in the Assay Office and at the Goldsmiths’ Centre who make it all possible. Finally, I must also thank you, the Company member, for your continued interest in this great Company.

The Clerk with mayors of London boroughs Image: Tariq Chaudry

Assay Office Report

By DrRobertOrgan

Activity

The number of articles sent for hallmarking to all UK assay offices increased from 9,156,752 in 2013 to 10,452,413 in 2014, a 14% increase. Gold and silver articles were responsible for this increase, with gold articles increasing by 23.2% and silver by 7.2%. The number of platinum articles marked was static compared to last year, while palladium articles dropped by 4.1%. The early growth in palladium, seen since its introduction five years ago, seems to have stalled.

Despite the welcome growth in hallmarking numbers over the year as a whole, there were signs at the end of 2014 that growth was slowing, creating a sense of uncertainty for the year ahead.

The rate of growth in the number of articles marked by London was slightly behind the UK as a whole, with the number of articles hallmarked rising from 2,793,014 in 2013 to 3,083,696 in 2014, up by 10.4%. All of this was attributable to an increase in gold articles hallmarked; fewer silver, palladium and platinum articles were hallmarked compared with the previous year. London’s market share continued to grow and was an encouraging 31% for the year.

The sub-offices at Heathrow and Greville Street continued to prove successful during 2014. The Heathrow sub-office hallmarked 1.6 million articles and Greville Street 186,000 articles. Heathrow remained the largest of the Assay Office’s manufacturing sites in terms of articles hallmarked. The sub-office at Allied Gold had a good first year of operation.

The increase in hallmarking numbers is partly a consequence of improvements in the general economy and a sustained reduction in gold price. The valuable income provided from supplying smelting and assaying services to companies which buy scrap gold fell further in 2014. However, new avenues were explored for providing additional income based on exploiting the use of existing skills, expertise and equipment. These included the introduction of a range of non-precious metal testing services and a precious metal buying course. The ability of the Assay Office to produce the highest quality hallmark punches in the world has been recognised, and several orders from overseas assay offices have been fulfilled.

Investment in the future continued apace. The four new lasers ordered at the end of 2013 were delivered and are in use. Their full potential is still being explored. In addition, the engineering workshop saw the introduction of a CNC milling machine. This has increased the quality and efficiency of producing hallmark punches as well as the normal tooling used for hallmarking. A new silver titrator for the laboratory was purchased. The Assay Office retained its accreditation to international standards ISO 17025:2005 and its certification to ISO 9001:2008.

A full marketing and events programme was organized including Fakes and Forgeries seminars, Valuation Days, Hallmarking Information Days and other specialist training courses. The Assay Office had stands at New Designers, Chatsworth House, Goldsmiths’ Fair and Art in Action. The highlight of the events calendar was the MakeYourMark event held at Goldsmiths’ Hall. Designed for full-time and part-time students on precious metal related courses, it included celebrity guest speakers, live demonstrations, special offers, careers advice and all sorts of useful information for those entering the trade. Over 750 people attended. Rumour has it that the Clerk needed stout walking boots and a ration pack to reach the end of the long queue to enter.

Antique Plate Committee

A total of 73 pieces were examined, of which 19 conformed to the Hallmarking Act. The remainder comprised 37 with alterations and additions, seven with transposed marks, nine with counterfeit marks and one was outside the Committee’s jurisdiction.

Suspected Offences

A total of seven suspected offences against the Hallmarking Act were reported to the Office by Local Authority Trading Standards Officers, which resulted in one prosecution.

Standards Committees

Ten ISO standards on the assaying of precious metals were published, further details of which can be obtained from the Office.

instagram.com/theassayoffice

International Convention on Hallmarks and International Association of Assay Offices

Italy’s attempt to accede to the Hallmarking Convention remains thwarted. This is causing a considerable amount of bad blood within the Convention and there is no clear way forward. A gala dinner at Goldsmiths’ Hall will mark the highpoint of 40th anniversary celebrations of the Hallmarking Convention to be hosted by the Assay Office in September 2015.

The International Association of Assay Offices (IAAO) continues to grow. Taiwan signed the Memorandum of Understanding in 2014.

Changes to the Hallmarking Act

There were no changes to the Hallmarking Act during the year. However, a momentous decision was taken when the British Hallmarking Council gave permission for the Sheffield Assay Office to operate a sub-office overseas. Subsequently, UK hallmarks have now been applied outside of the UK for the first time.

Staff

Charlotte Turner has joined the Assay Office as the new Marketing Manager. Caroline Waker received her Long Service Award. Lyn Mills received her Freedom which coincided with the release of her new book, 50excuses whytheDeputyWardencannottakeyourcall.

Charlotte Turner, the new Marketing Manager of the Assay Office Image: Julia Skupny

Lyn Mills and her husband with the Prime Warden and Deputy Warden at her freedom ceremony Image: Sophia Tobin

Charity Report Education Report

By Nick Harland

With the return of Lord Sutherland to the Chair last year, a strategic review of what the Company does for education was set up, and options are being considered. The annual budget of £300,000 remained unchanged.

This year, six Science for Society courses were run at Bath, Cambridge, Brunel and Queen Mary. This is a flagship programme which has been running for many years, but while it is undoubtedly popular with the secondary school science teachers who attend, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit new attendees. Consequently, a decision was taken to reduce the number of courses for 2015 to those held at Cambridge and Brunel. The Particle Physics course, with a visit to the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, remains a great hit.

Support for the seven London primary schools in Tower Hamlets, Islington, Camden and Lambeth continued with funding for the individual Heads to run programmes to improve literacy and numeracy. Two additional initiatives have spun out of the association with these schools. The first is a visit by groups of final year children from each school to the Hall in the summer, and this was run for a second year; with the collaboration of all departments and the Royal Mint, this has proved an entertaining and energising activity. The second is a careers conference run by one of our primary schools at the British Library which is aimed at raising children’s aspirations. Children from more than 20 schools take part. It is in part financed by the Company, and the Assay Office and the Goldsmiths’ Centre participate with their apprentices and a variety of activities.

The Grants for Teachers’ programme continues to attract high calibre teachers, ambitious to develop themselves through the pursuit of innovative research. For one such teacher, a month spent studying the application of philosophy for children at a leading centre in Hawaii has started to transform her career.

The Company’s long term core educational support for music scholars at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, for a chorister at St. Paul’s, and for medical students, studying medicine as a second degree, has continued. Funding also supported the National Theatre’s Primary Classics programme of RomeoandJulietin London primary schools and the Goldsmiths’ bursaries for geography teachers, administered by the Royal Geographical Society.

Finally, £20,000 was provided to fund four postgraduate bursaries a year for five years at Goldsmiths College.

By Ciorsdan Brown

This year the Charity budget remained at £700,000 but is being increased to £750,000 from April 2015 and then to £900,000 for subsequent years.

To achieve the most from the £700,000, the practice of awarding grants in the region of £3,000 was continued.

In a few exceptional cases, larger grants of £5,000 were awarded, and with increased financial stability, this trend looks set to continue. The number of applications was marginally up on last year, and the success rate for appeals, at 68%, was also an improvement.

The two-year grant funding of Cheshire Community Foundation came to an end, and the Committee was pleased to note that the Foundation is flourishing and is now one of the most successful Community Foundations in the country. Looking to emulate this success, Dorset Community Foundation approached the Company for support, following extensive research into the needs of the Dorset community. They made an impressive presentation at Goldsmiths’ Hall and were awarded a grant of £50,000 p.a. for two years, conditional upon a satisfactory report being received at the end of the first year. The grant will go towards meeting the County’s educational needs, particularly through the recruitment of a Development Manager who will take forward initiatives for mentoring in two schools, by way of a pilot scheme, and will work with colleges to provide bursaries for disadvantaged students.

Together for Short Lives (formerly Children’s Hospices UK), the umbrella body which supports all children’s hospices, was given its final instalment of £10,000. This grant has gone towards providing the quality and training back-up for the children’s part of this terrific movement.

A grant of £25,000 was again awarded to R L Glasspool Charity and School-Home Support respectively under the ‘Poor Londoners’ programmes. These grants enable the Company’s funds to reach those individuals most in need throughout London. The grants made by these two charities are for modest sums, averaging £250, and help to provide everyday essentials such as beds, school uniforms and washing machines. Whilst small, the impact is large and, in the case of SHS, they can make all the difference in giving the children the opportunity to succeed at school.

The Company continued the annual block grants of £10,000 to the Refugee Council and of £40,000 to the National Churches Trust. Stepney Episcopal Area Fund was also awarded £10,000 to use on the fabric of churches in need in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Islington.

Minor grants totalling £530,000 were distributed under the five category headings: General Welfare; Medical Welfare and Disabled; Youth; Culture; and Church. Charities deemed particularly worthy by the Charity Committee during the current tough financial climate included those working with the homeless, young offenders, mental health charities, support for the isolated elderly and disadvantaged children and young people. Of particular note were: Switchback, which provides an intensive ‘through the gate’ mentoring programme alongside a practical programme of rehabilitation for offenders aged 18-24; and Streetwise Opera, a charity which offers homeless people the chance to receive training from fully-qualified professional opera singers in homeless and community centres across the UK.

After 10 years at the helm of the Charity Committee, and after overseeing the grant-giving of more than £8m, David Peake retired as Chairman; the Company is indebted to him for his firm and wise hand on the tiller during this time. Michael Galsworthy has taken over as Chairman.

The Wardens disbursed more than £200,000 annually for those appeals outside the purview of the Charity and Education Committees. These included a grant of £21,000 to the Company’s church of St Vedast to establish a treasury, welfare grants to the Company’s various military affiliations and £33,000 to the Silversmiths’ and Jewellers’ Charity. As in previous years, a number of grants were agreed to enable charities to use the Hall for fundraising events.

Teachers on the Particle Physics course visiting the Large Hadron Collider, Cern

Climbing Out group on top of Stickle Tarn, Lake District

Membership Report

By Nick Harland

The Membership Committee and staff have been busy during this year organising a wide variety of events for members. The Company’s relationships with military affiliates were strengthened with a visit to 30 Squadron RAF at RAF Brize Norton, where the visitors experienced a trip in the C130 Hercules military transport aircraft and an opportunity to ‘fly’ the aircraft in the mission simulator. In addition, a military affiliates’ dinner, held at the Rifles’ Club in Mayfair, was well attended by members and officers and men from 7 Rifles, 30 Squadron and Finchley Sea Cadets. The annual shooting competition was conducted at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for all of the livery companies supporting 7 Rifles, and this year the Goldsmiths’ team came in second place, a marked improvement over recent years.

In the summer, members visited the National Trust’s Belton House where Angela Cork (Freeman) was Silversmith in Residence as part of the Curator’s StudioSilverToday initiative. Two informative briefings were conducted in the Hall to give members a background to the charitable and educational heritage and current activities, the new look Goldsmiths’ Fair and a glimpse into the fascinating world of Fakes and Forgeries led by Alastair Dickenson (Liveryman).

The major sporting event of the year was the Great XII Regatta off the Isle of Wight. One of the four Goldsmiths’ cruisers won its class – but the Mermaid keel boat results were less spectacular. The sporting year ended with the Inter-Livery Skiing championship in Morzine, France, with a mixed team delivering some creditable results.

In view of the number of events now being organised for members, it has been decided to set up a sub-committee of members who will take on the organising of complementary activities to add to the programme.

Last year, the Company’s membership contributed £37,062 towards the Members’ Charitable Fund which made grants to both trade and non-trade activities. £18,000 was allocated to trade activities decided upon by the Craft & Industry Committee. Of this, a grant of £12,000 was given to the Centre to set up a micro setting workshop which makes a new cutting edge technology available to craftsmen at all levels and will enable new courses to be run there. The remainder went to support the Foundation apprentices with tool boxes, aprons and a hardship fund.

The £18,000 allocated to non-trade causes was utilised with a £9,000 grant to support Paralympic sailors in their quest to qualify for the Rio Paralympic games. The remainder was split between charities proposed by Company members.

Two youth clubs in London, Corum Fields and St. Andrews, Westminster were the beneficiaries. In future it has been decided that all funds raised will be put towards trade charitable activities.

Library Report

By SophiaTobin

It has been a time of change in the Library this year. The summer of 2015 will see a closure period of several months as building alterations take place to adapt part of the Library to another use. Members of the library staff have been reviewing the holdings to maximise space and planning for the future, with the goal of developing the Library further and continuing its role as a supporter of the craft.

The Library has acquired some exciting new books this year. A wide range of gifts includes: DesignerBritishsilver fromstudiosestablished1930-1985by John Andrew and Derek Styles; and a book by BBC newsreader Huw Edwards, who carried out research in our archive, and donated City mission:thestoryofLondon’sWelshchapels to the Library.

Books purchased include Vanessa Brett’s Bertrand’s toyshopinBath:luxuryretailing1685-1765;Silke Reiter’s work on the Renaissance designer and goldsmith Erasmus Hornick, and John Culme’s Britishsilverboxes1640-1840: theLioncollection.

There has also been an interesting and unexpected donation to the archive. After 125 years in the retail trade, antique silver dealers M P Levene left their Kensington shop to continue the business online, and donated over 25 boxes of photographs to the Library, an invaluable record of their stock-in-trade.

The Library has continued to reach out to new users, running sessions for the pre-apprenticeship course, GettingStarted, and students from Holts Academy, as well as continuing a programme of tours in partnership with the Assay Office. The Librarian and Assistant Librarian have also given presentations to freemen and liverymen.

Richard Valencia’s expertise has been utilised for the ongoing digitisation project. Recently photographed pieces include the Raven maps of the Ulster Plantation in the 17th century, original designs for the building of the Hall, and some of our 20th century exhibition posters.

The Company’s rich historical archives remain an important focus. Work is continuing on the 1682 mark plate project, as Dr David Mitchell consolidates the data back to 1600. Other researchers have also contributed to the Library holdings this year: after extensive research in the Court Minutes, Jennifer Bishop has donated her doctoral thesis on precious metals and coinage in Tudor England to the Library.

The exploration of the archives is moving out in a new direction too. Dr Lisa Jefferson has begun the translation of the Anglo-Norman French and Latin entries in the Company’s 15th and 16th century Registers of Deeds. Her rare expertise has been utilised before in the translation of the early Wardens’ Accounts and Court Minutes, and it is hoped that she will unearth many treasures from this new source.

The Company’s works of art and furniture fall under the Library’s remit, and last summer saw the restoration of the 19th century beadle’s chair by staff at the Leather Conservation Centre in Northampton, and the painstaking cleaning of Thomas Hudson’s painting Benn’sClubof Aldermen by Jim Dimond (above right) and his assistant and technician Charlie Lindley.

Finally, members of library staff have been changing places this year. Eleni Bide, the Assistant Librarian, gave birth to baby Daniel in September 2014. During her maternity leave her role has been covered by Sophia Tobin, the Library Administrator, with Sophia’s role being taken by Deborah Roberts and, more recently, Amy Bulger. Eleni will return to the Library in the summer of 2015.

Goldsmiths’ shooting team

Assistant Richard Agutter at 30 Squadron

Goldsmiths’ ski team

Image: Deborah Roberts

Communications & Marketing

By David Mills

Formed in October 2013 as a replacement for the former Promotion Department, the new Communications & Marketing Department immediately embarked on several major projects Perhaps the highest profile of these projects was the ambitious changes made to Goldsmiths’ Fair. These changes included a more spacious layout, a fresh new look, a new events programme (comprising 30 talks) and a special showcase guest curated by the architect Zaha Hadid. The new look was overwhelmingly well-received by exhibitors and visitors alike and contributed to a 9% rise in footfall and increased sales. After four successful years, the Department said goodbye to Joanne Dodd, Fair and Events Manager. Fortunately an excellent replacement has been identified in Harriet Scott, who joined the Company in April.

In 2014, the Company’s Web Development Manager, Richard Webb, launched two new websites, goldsmithsfair.co.ukand thegoldsmithsdirectory.co.uk. Both websites have been extremely well-received by the public, designer-makers and the media. At the time of writing, the Fair website had received 53,952 sessions from 32,858 users and the Directory had received 22,079 visits from 15,853 users. Incorporating several advanced technologies, the Directory was designed to be a more user-friendly and visually inspiring successor to whoswhoingoldandsilver.com, which was launched as far back as 2002. The Directory currently showcases the work of over 350 UK-based jewellers and silversmiths. The Goldsmiths’ Fair website gives the event a stylish online presence distinctive from comparable events. The site features profile pages for every exhibitor, as well as visitor information, online ticketing, news and beautifully illustrated behind-the-scenes blogs written by Communications and Marketing Assistant, Frances Saddington. The next significant development will be a major overhaul of the Company’s website (thegoldsmiths. co.uk). This major project is currently in the planning stages.

One of the Department’s key aims is to increase awareness of the Company’s activities in the media. Working closely with the Assay Office, the Goldsmiths’ Centre and the Curator’s Department, the Communications Officer has secured high profile press coverage for the Trial of the Pyx, the Company’s apprenticeship scheme, the Centre’s events programme, StudioSilverTodayat Belton House, the Goldsmiths’ Directory, Goldsmiths’ Fair and several other activities. After a busy year as the Company’s Communications Officer, Tom Almeroth-Williams left in March and he has been replaced by Martin Macdonald.

Seeking to engage a wider and younger audience, the Department opened accounts on Twitter (@GoldsmithsCo) and Facebook, the former now having 2,735 followers. Consistent engagement through social media has resulted in substantial online interest in the Fair, the Directory and a number of other Company initiatives.

After this auspicious start, the Department is now looking forward to building on its success in 2014 and further raising the Company’s profile with its target audiences.

Craft & Industry

By PeterTaylor

Sitting down to write this piece for the Review gives one the opportunity to reflect upon the achievements of the previous 12 months. With the Goldsmiths’ Centre now playing a significant role in delivering the work of this Committee, it is gratifying to see how access to the resources of the Centre are positively impacting upon a wide range of Company activities related to our support for the craft and industry.

Notably, the Centre’s apprentices were very successful at the annual Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council competition with a number of awards to their names. Whilst the majority of the credit for this success has to go to the masters and companies who so diligently train them, the Centre is beginning to contribute directly through initiatives like the Apprentice Day Release, Summer School and World Skills training which are hosted there.

The undergraduate Summer School is another case in point, with 16 students from across the UK benefitting from a week of expert tuition in silversmithing and jewellery skills. Challenged to produce a piece from a technical drawing and to scale, this is often the first experience that these undergraduates have of these disciplines. They seem both to enjoy and to learn from the experience to the extent that it is hard to prise them out of the workshop at the end of the week.

The unwillingness of the undergraduates to leave probably should not be surprising. This is something that happens every year at the end of the GettingStartedbusiness course. This year was no different in that respect. After a week of seminars, workshops and a showcase event, the 30 graduates found themselves reluctant to leave the Centre, but ultimately they did so knowing that they are now better equipped to pursue their own careers within the sector.

This emphasis on career progression and development also underpinned the Committee’s sponsoring of the annual New Designers exhibition at the Business Design Centre in Islington. This year it awarded two prizes of internships with Clive Burr (silversmith) and Paul York (goldsmith), both of whom are based at the Centre. The awards were complemented by registration at the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office.

I am unable to end this report without commenting on the success of the Apprentice Scheme and the positive impact of changes agreed by the Committee to the recruitment and management of this initiative. This year, nine new apprentices were bound to masters at a ceremony in October, and the system by which employers apply and receive bursaries for their trainees was completely restructured. In a major shift in policy, potential masters must now apply for a bursary when taking on a youngster – there is a maximum of five funded places available and a cap of 10 new apprenticeships per annum in total. This constitutes a significant growth in the scheme and reflects the increased interest in training youngsters for entry into the craft, which can only be beneficial for its future success and prosperity. A huge part of the success of the scheme is due to the dedicated team led by Robin Kyte and Helen Dobson who oversee it on the Committee’s behalf.

On the subject of staffing, as indicated in last year’s report, Robin Kyte stepped back from his full-time role here at the Centre, and Chris Oliver, who joined in the new role as the Curriculum Leader, has very much made his own mark over the past 12 months. Chris has brought a whole new range of skills and expertise to the team – and the Centre is delighted to have him on board.

I will close my report by reiterating my thanks to everyone here at the Goldsmiths’ Centre and within the Company who make working with this Committee such a pleasure.

Helen Stride and Chris Oliver receive the College Trophy from the Prime Warden at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards Image: Julia Skupny

The Communications & Marketing team Image: Julia Skupny

Curator’s Report

By RosemaryRansomeWallis

The Company commemorated the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 by commissioning the largest piece of silver for the Collection since the Millennium. The magnificent DiamondJubileeDish by Rod Kelly was made in his Shetland workshop. It demonstrates this silversmith’s extraordinary skills, using the traditional techniques of hand-raising and hand-chasing. Indeed, the diameter of the dish (56cm) was such a size that the original silver sheet could not be sourced in the United Kingdom, but instead was ordered from Spain. The centre of the dish is chased with the royal crown and the letters E R against a background of flowing lines, signifying water. Four applied panels depict the flowers of the four nations of the United Kingdom; roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks. The four panels produce a cross, representing the Queen as Defender of the Faith.

A virtuoso performance of technical skill is evident in the collaboration between Malcolm Appleby and Jane Short, in their creation of the TectonicBeakersI&II, acquired in 2014. Malcolm asked Jane to interpret freely the steel and goldfired colours created in his workshop, by using gold foils and enamel on his two silver beakers. The vision in blue enamel of gold melting in fire evokes the volcanic activity of shifting tectonic plates.

Technical skill is equally evident in the beaker of Ndidi Ekubia, in the pair of beakers with mokumeganerims by Alistair McCallum, and in the hammered and press-formed Pillow Dishby Angela Cork - all acquired for the Collection in the past year. A different approach to production was explored in the vase (2014) purchased from Adrian Hope, on which he used a swaging engine to create decorative, linear flutes. Max Warren reinterprets the traditional technique of engraving, inspired by digital manufacturing processes, by only using horizontal engraved lines to convey a contemporary idea. His Ornament 1plate(2012), purchased last year, was inspired by Franz Sales Meyer’s HandbookofOrnament(1888) which advocates natural elements as ornament.

The parish church of Dio Padre Misericordioso in Rome was dedicated in 2003. The Italian Nicola Bulgari, Associate of the Company, commissioned 31 pieces of ecclesiastical silver from Padgham & Putland for this church, as a donation from Bulgari. Last year a chalice was commissioned by the Company from Padgham & Putland, to commemorate this unique patronage, as well as marking Nicola Bulgari’s ongoing personal support of British contemporary silversmiths.

Last Christmas, an extra tree was brought into Goldsmiths’ Hall. This tree was hung with 45 unique modern silver decorations, by 37 silversmiths, costing a maximum of £80 each. Potential purchasers were instructed to contact the silversmiths directly. The ‘tree’ was a runaway success, with press coverage, and a rumour that the Prime Warden woke up on Christmas morning to find a silver Christmas decoration in his stocking.

The commissioning of contemporary portrait medals of the retiring Prime Warden was initiated in 1990. No other organisation in this country has done this as a consistent policy. Mark Richards, portrait sculptor, captured Hector Miller (Prime Warden 2011-2012) in a more relaxed pose on the medal obverse, with the reverse having a striking image of a silver jug, designed by Hector. By chance, last year, a 16th century Renaissance medal, in copper, of Sir Richard Martin and his wife, Dorcas, was purchased (see Timothy Schroder’s article pp.10-11).

Art medals not only commemorate people but significant events. To commemorate the centenary of the First World War, the Company commissioned the eminent sculptor, James Butler RA, to design and make a silver art medal. The obverse depicts a line of blinded soldiers, guiding one another after a gas attack – the imagery recalling John Singer Sargent’s haunting painting: Gassed(1919). On the reverse, a wounded soldier, head heavily bandaged and a tragically contorted skull brings the horror of the First World War into even more shocking focus.

A spiral motif is used both by Felicity Powell and Kyosun Jung in their art medals, acquired by the Company last year. In Felicity’s medal, the silversmith’s skilful hands form a circle on the obverse, with a diminishing circle of hammers on the reverse, echoing the way that artworks emerge from the repetition of skilful actions. A spiralling elephant’s trunk on the reverse of Kyosun Jung’s medal reinforces the powerful message of the obverse of a magnificent elephant’s head, entitled IvoryExploitation.This medal design had previously won an award in the BAMS 2013 student medal project.

The word jewellery comes from the Anglicised old French ‘jouel’ suggesting joy and adornment. The three latest art jewels to come into the Collection certainly fit this description. Titled Flight, the white Russian nephrite jade necklace (2015) was commissioned from Charlotte De Syllas, artist jeweller. Birds in flight are often viewed from Charlotte’s studio in rural Norfolk. Here this vision is realised in creamy white jade, a material whose status exceeded that of gold in the ancient Chinese Imperial Court. This material, used by Charlotte, links her necklace to the reverence of jade in ancient and modern China, yet, subtly, through its design, places it as a beautiful contemporary piece of 21st century jewellery.

The delicacy of gold and pearls in the necklace (2014), commissioned from Jane Adam, was inspired by plant forms and sea shells, the pod forms contain pearls, enforcing this imagery of nature and discovery. The most recent piece of jewellery was purchased at the Goldsmiths’ Fair in 2014. The Lenticularbroochof interlaced wires of 18ct yellow, red, green and white gold, with 24ct platinum, palladium and oxidised silver was designed and made by the Scottish art jeweller, Andrew Lamb. He is influenced by illusion, and the brooch was inspired by Bridget Riley’s colourful Nataraja paintings.

There have been 27 additions to the Company’s Collection during the past year, nine of which will feature in the Company’s major exhibition. TheSilversmith’sArt:MadeinBritainToday, opens on 18 September 2015 at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, and will run until 4 January 2016.

Prime Warden’s Portrait Medal of Hector Miller, 2014, silver, by Mark Richards Image: Clarissa Bruce

The Diamond Jubilee Dish, 2015, silver with gold inlay, by Rod Kelly Image: Clarissa Bruce

Lenticular brooch, 2013, 18ct yellow, red, green and white gold, with platinum, palladium and oxidised silver by Andrew Lamb

Image: Clarissa Bruce

Membership

Members of the Court of Assistants

Mr W.H.M. Parente PrimeWardenuntil20May2015

Mr T.B. Schroder, DLitt, FSA PrimeWardenfrom 20May2015

Mr M.J. Wainwright SecondWardenfrom20May2015

Miss J.A. Lowe FIL, FRSA, FInstD ThirdWardenfrom 20May2015

Mr M.C.T. Prideaux FourthWardenfrom20May2015

*Sir Anthony Touche, Bt

*Mr C.R.C. Aston, TD

*Mr S.A. Shepherd

*The Lord Tombs of Brailes

*Sir Paul Girolami

*The Lord Cunliffe

* Mr R.F.H. Vanderpump

*Mr B.L. Schroder

*Mr R.P.T. Came

HRH The Prince of Wales, KG, KT, GCB (HonoraryAssistant)

*Mr D.A.E.R. Peake

Mr B.E. Toye

Mr M. Dru Drury, CBE, FSA

Professor R.L. Himsworth

Mr G.G. Macdonald

Mr R.N. Hambro

Mr A.M.J. Galsworthy, CVO, CBE, DL

Mr H.J. Miller

The Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, KT, FBA, FRSE

Mr R.D. Agutter

Mr G.C. Munn OBE, FSA, FRSA

Mr R.N. Fox

Dame Lynne Brindley, DBE

Mr N.A.P. Carson FRSA

The Hon Mark Bridges

Mr E.C. Braham

Brigadier Edward Butler, DSO, MBE

Dr C.G. Mackworth-Young, MD, FRCP

* Retired status

The Livery

The following deaths were reported during the year (preceded by the year of clothing).

1989 Miss Susan E. F. Aston

1972 Mr John Russell Padgett

1987 Mr Gerald L. Taylor

The following freemen were elected to the Livery and duly clothed during the year.

Mr G. E. D. Agutter

Mr W.A. Hill

New Freemen

By Special Grant

Linda Elsie Mills

SecretarytotheDeputyWarden,TheGoldsmiths’Company AssayOffice

By Redemption

Junko Adachi Gold&silversmith

Przemyslaw Beres Sealengraver

Abigail Joanna Brown Silversmith

Blondel Bernadette Rosceilia Cluff Solicitor

Edward Stefan Connolly Numismatist

Anthony Edgar Griffin Diamondmounter

Robert Aidan Roche Hayes InvestmentManager

Stewart Charles Hersey Silversmith

William Anthony Hill Investmentconsultant

Katie Louise Jarvis ManagingDirector,StephenWebsterLtd

Abdul Abdillahi Mohamed CompanyDirector

Peter Brian Musson Designersilversmith

Theresa Nguyen Artistsilversmith

Philip Andrew Norman-Butler InvestmentManager

Steven Mark Nuell Goldsmith

Nicola Louise Parry Designergoldsmith

Nicholas Philippe Diamondmounter&casemaker

Thomas Rucker Goldsmith&jeweller

Alex Sheridan Jeweller

John Wilson Tweddle ClientDirector,Schroders

David C Valle JewelleryDesigner

Audrey Mary Wiggin InvestmentBanker

Thomas Henry Wiggin InvestmentManager

Gary Stephen Williams Director,MasterMeltsLtd

Francis Wood Retailjeweller

Gary Michael Wroe ManagingDirector,HockleyMintLtd

By Patrimony

Augusta Daisy Elizabeth Drury daughterofMartinDruDrury,anAssistant

By Service

Andrew Colin Belfrage

SonofRichardJamesBelfrageandlateapprenticeofDavid StuartWard(BarbaraTippleLtd)

Perry Allan Lewis

SonofAllanJohnLewisandlateapprenticeofEmmet RichardSmith(RHWilkinsEngraversLtd)

Jack Colin May

SonofSandraLouiseMayandlateapprenticeofKevin CharlesBiggs

Luke Campbell Sutherland

SonofDouglasGrahamSutherlandandlateapprenticeof MarkChristmas

Alexander George Swale

SonofYvonneCarolSwaleandlateapprenticeofRaymond DanielSmith(SJPolishingLtd)

Stephen John Webb

SonofLindaZitaWebbandlateapprenticeofShaunLeane

George Patrick Woodall

SonofGeorgeEdwardWoodallandlateapprenticeofBrian AlfredGresley(GraffDiamondsLtd)

Associate Members

The following deaths were reported during the year (preceded by the year of admission):

1981 Herr Ernst Loeffel

2000 Professor B. S. Rabinovitch

1985 Eric N. Shrubsole

Binney Medal Winners

The Binney Award winners for 2014 were Tom Temple and Charles Bonser.

Committees

Assay Office Management

Mr G.G. Macdonald (Chairman)

Mr R.D. Agutter

Mr N. A. P. Carson

Mr R.G.H. Crofts

Mr C.V.S. Hoare Nairne

Mr S. M. Ottewill

Mr R.E. Southall

Mr A.C. Vanderpump

Mr M.R. Winwood

Antique Plate

Mr R.N. Fox (Chairman)

Mr R.F.H. Vanderpump

Mr N.V. Bassant

Mr A.J. Butcher

Mr P. Cameron

Mr D.E. Cawte

Mr A.J. Dickenson

Mrs K. Jones

Mr T. Martin

Mrs L.M. Morton

Mr P. B. Waldron

Mr H. Williams-Bukeley

Mr H. Willis

Goldsmiths’ Review Board

Mr W.H.M. Parente

Mr T.B. Schroder

Mr R. G. Melly

Mr N.J.G. Harland

Mr D.A. Beasley (Editor)

Miss E.R. Bide/Mrs S. K. Tobin

(Assistant Editor)

House

Mr H.J. Miller (Chairman)

Mr R.P.T. Came

Mr M.D. Drury

Mrs N. Buchanan-Dunlop

Mr W. J. Fisher

The Hon. Joanna Gardner

Miss J. F. C. Goad

Mr G. Harris

Charity

Mr A. M. J. Galsworthy (Chairman)

Mr S.A. Shepherd

Dr C.G. Mackworth-Young

Mr W.K. Benbow

Mr R.G. Ford

Dr J. W. Hanbury-Tenison

Miss E.K. Himsworth

Mr J B A Holt

The Hon. Dr Elisabeth Martin

Mr R. O’Hora

Mr J.R. Polk

Mr W.G. Touche

Education

The Lord Sutherland of Houndwood (Chairman)

Dame Lynne Brindley

Mr W.K. Benbow

Mr J.D. Buchanan-Dunlop

Miss C.V. Copeland

Mr C.D.J. Holborow

Professor Dame Julia King

Dr V.V. Lawrence

Mr A.C. Peake

Mr R.A. Reddaway

The Hon. Mrs Meg Sanders

Mr R.G. Straker

The Lady Willoughby de Broke

Collection and Library

Professor R.L. Himsworth (Chairman)

Mr R.F.H. Vanderpump

Mr H.J. Miller

Mr T.B. Schroder

Mr R. A. Cornelius

Dr K. Jensen

Mr C.H. Truman

Mr A.E. Turner

Communication & Marketing

Mr M. C. T. Prideaux (Chairman)

Mrs J.J. Clark

Mr G. Courtauld

Miss A. M. O. Durnford

Miss J. B. Springer

Mr D. S. Twining

Miss R. van Rooijen

Investment

Mr R.N. Hambro (Chairman)

Mr W.H.M. Parente

Mr N.A.P. Carson

Mr U.D. Barnett

Mr W. Hill

Sir Stuart Lipton

Mr R.R. Madeley

Sir John Rose

Mr E. Wakefield

Craft and Industry

Mr R.N. Fox (Chairman)

Mr S.A. Shepherd

Mr A.J. Bedford

Mr T.R.B. Fattorini

Mr B.D. Hill

Ms D. Mitchell

Miss J.B. Springer

Membership

Mr R. D. Agutter (Chairman)

Mr W.T. Edgerley

Mr T.R.B. Fattorini

Miss V.E.G. Harper

Mr M.S.A. Magnay

Dame Ros Savill

Mr S. Webster

Modern

Committee

Professor R.L. Himsworth (Chairman)

Mr M.D. Drury

Mr G.C. Munn

Miss V.R. Broackes

Mr C.E. Burr

Miss A. Game

Miss O.D. Krinos

Mrs D. Solowiej-Wedderburn

Company Fact File

May 2014-2015

NewDesigners2014

Jewellery and metalwork were shown during New Designers (Week One), which ran from 25-28 June. The Goldsmiths’ Company award for silversmithing was given to Clive Taylor of Birmingham City University and the award for jewellery went to Karen Elizabeth Donovan of Edinburgh College of Art. A week-long workshop internship was included as part of their prize.

StudioSilverTodayatBeltonHouse

Angela Cork’s residency at Belton House closed on 1 November 2014, having been visited by 96,000 people. The prize draw took place on the closing day and Angela’s beaker was won by a visitor from Lincolnshire.

YoungDesignerSilversmithAward1994-2013

An exhibition to celebrate the Young Designer Silversmith Award ran from 15 October - 19 December at Goldsmiths’ Hall. It consisted of 19 winning pieces lent by nine national museums. Past winners were amongst the 70 guests at the Private View.

Goldsmiths’Fair 2014

The new-look Goldsmiths’ Fair attracted 9,800 visitors during its run from 22 September - 5 October. The Fair saw 34 first-time exhibitors from a total of 170 and social media played a large part in its success – there were 311 tweets throughout the Fair period.

GettingStarted2015

Thirty attendees participated in the GettingStarted programme from 12-16 January at the Goldsmiths’ Centre.

SettingOut2015

The SettingOutprogramme at the Goldsmiths’ Centre began on 2 February and will continue until 29 January 2016, with 10 participants.

TrialofthePyx2015

Senior Master Barbara Fontaine, the new Queen’s Remembrancer and the first woman to hold the post, presided over the opening of the Trial of the Pyx on 3 February 2015. In total 70,279 coins were counted. Favourable Verdicts were returned on 1 May.

Make Your Mark 2015

Over 750 visitors flocked to the Hall for the two-day event from 17-18 April attracted by a programme of lectures and demonstrations, and the chance to register hallmarks with the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office. An exhibition of work by designer-makers, was mounted at the Goldsmiths’ Centre to inspire visitors.

Statistics for the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office January – December 2014

Sir Hugo Huntington-Whiteley Bart

1924-2014

Hugo was a man of great intellectual talent, charm and kindness.

The second son of a naval officer he was born in 1924 in Porchester. He was sent to boarding school at the age of seven and subsequently went to Eton as an Oppidan Scholar. At the very young age of 17 he took and passed the Civil Service exam which qualified him for a direct entry commission into the Navy. He served on HMS Glasgow and took part in the Arctic convoys to Russia, also seeing service in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. He was mentioned in despatches at the age of 19. At the end of the War in Europe his ship set off for the Far East but when they arrived in South Africa the news came through of the Japanese surrender. He had suffered badly from sea sickness and left the Navy.

His first civilian job was as a temporary master at Abberley Hall, a private school in Worcestershire, where he taught history and music. In my case unsuccessfully, although his lesson on dismantling and explaining the workings of a piano was remembered by most of his pupils. Years later he became the first Chairman of the Governors. During this time he discovered that chartered accountants were well paid, so he spent the next five years doing his articles in Birmingham. He then joined the profession as a manager with Price Waterhouse and worked in London, America and Birmingham (again) and in 1964 became the Senior Partner in Bristol.

Hugo married Jennie Ramsay in 1959 and they have two daughters. In 1961 they moved to Ripple Hall in Worcestershire where he took out the lift and put in an organ. Music was very close to his heart and whilst still at school he had played for the Royal Family at Windsor on several occasions. He also played at his grandfather’s funeral in Worcester Cathedral and was Organist and Choirmaster at Ripple Church for 25 years. He was a Governor of the Royal School of Church Music and held senior offices in several prestigious musical organisations. He left his collection of organ music and books to Eton. He collected silver and became Chairman of the Silver Society. He was High Sheriff of Worcestershire and also a Deputy Lieutenant.

He followed his great-grandfather and grandfather, Stanley Baldwin, to become a member of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1961, being clothed with the Livery in 1968, and elected to the Court of Assistants in 1982. He served as Prime Warden from 1988-1989.

At Goldsmiths’ Hall he was a member of the Investment Committee from 1975-2003 (Chairman 1984-1988), and the House Committee from 1983 to 2006 where his extensive expertise in fine wines was of great benefit to us all.

In the mid 1980s it became clear that the Livery Hall in particular needed a complete refurbishment. Unfortunately for Hugo the major refurbishment took place in his year and the whole building was shut for the purposes of entertainment and meetings. The Lord Mayor was Sir Hugh Bidwell whose generous hospitality did much to alleviate the loss of the Hall. Other livery companies and the Corporation also provided hospitality. A Livery dinner was held at the Guildhall when all the Liverymen were invited with a guest. A record number of 450 dined with the Lord Chancellor as the principal guest. The Company also held a party at the Guildhall for Freemen and their guests which was attended by over 1,100 people. As so often happens the building project grew as each investigation revealed further faults. Additional improvements such as the lift were added and the project ran over time and estimate. The beam which supported approximately half the Livery Hall ceiling and roof was condemned. Of extremely advanced design for 1835 it was considered by English Heritage to be of historical importance. On account of its size it was difficult for any museum to accept the beam as a gift and it was suggested that the Goldsmiths’ garden might be a suitable resting place. Hugo mentioned the problem to the Master Clothworker who was President of the Ironbridge Museum in Shropshire. His charm prevailed and the beam has been displayed at Ironbridge ever since. The Company was honoured by a visit from the Queen and Prince Phillip on 15 May at the opening of the de Lamerie exhibition and it is recorded that the Prime Warden kept quite calm while considerable panic gripped others involved in the work for fear it would not be finished in time for the Royal visit. It was and the visit judged an outstanding success.

Many Assistants will remember Hugo as the veteran who made them feel welcome on their first rather daunting visit to a Court meeting. All will remember Jennie who accompanied him on almost all his visits to social occasions at the Hall. She cared for him with love and attention through his long and difficult illness. Hugo will be much missed. He was a great contributor to our great Company.

Sir A.W. (Jerry) Wiggin

1937-2015

Sir Jerry Wiggin is remembered among silversmiths as the Member of Parliament who promoted the Private Member’s Bill which became the Hallmarking Act of 1973. It was a long and intricate process with many people to convince along the way, many procedural hurdles to clear and in the end more than two hundred acts of Parliament to be repealed but its effect was to strengthen the law on hallmarking by consolidating it into one modern statute.

Having thus won his spurs as a champion of the craft and industry, Jerry was welcomed onto the Livery in 1984. In 1995 he was elected to the Court and appointed a member of the Assay Office Management Committee, becoming chairman for two years from 2010. He was Prime Warden from 2006 to 2007.

Jerry’s imposing presence and forthright views were the outward face of a kind, warm-hearted and generous man whose emotions were easily stirred. He was by nature conservative, with an instinctive respect for tradition and the values of institutions. When he felt they were under attack, he was quick to defend them. Unlike those who are inclined to go along with proposals for change for fear of being thought timid or reactionary, Jerry’s response was invariably to challenge and question. He tended to form strong, unshakeable opinions and, where matters of principle are concerned, had no fear of being a lone voice. His contributions at Court meetings were always carefully prepared and elegantly expressed. Many of us will remember his moving speech at a Livery Dinner about his father’s experiences in two World Wars.

After Eton and Cambridge, Jerry took on his father’s farm in Worcestershire, increasing its acreage and expanding the business. Disappointed by missing National Service on account of a bad back, he became a keen Territorial soldier, joining his grandfather’s regiment, the Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry as a trooper, retiring in 1978 as a major in the Royal Yeomanry.

In 1969 he was elected the member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare and, thereafter, until he lost his seat in 1997, held a succession of public offices, including those of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (1981-83) and Chairman of the Select Committee on Agriculture (1987-97). His experience in government and the friendships he made in Westminster and Whitehall were to prove of great value to the Goldsmiths’ Company.

Jerry was for many years a conscientious chairman of the House Committee, a role which he hugely enjoyed. Feeling that there were too few contemporary paintings in the Hall, he persuaded the Court to commission a full-length portrait of the Company’s Honorary Assistant, HRH The Prince of Wales, by Richard Stone.

He took pride in the fact that during his year as Prime Warden and on his initiative, the Company’s links with A Company, 7th Rifles, and the Finchley Sea Cadets were forged. About the Goldsmiths’ Centre, however, he had serious misgivings. This was entirely in character, but it was nevertheless during his year as Prime Warden that the Court authorised the opening of negotiations for its creation, a fact he gracefully recorded without comment in his valedictory piece in Goldsmiths’Review

Jerry will be remembered with affection and respect by his friends on the staff and among his fellow Goldsmiths for his independent spirit, for the close and thoughtful interest he took in the Company’s affairs and for his dedication to upholding its traditions.

MDD

Events Principal Officers

2015

26 June

Luncheon Club

22 September - 4 October

Goldsmiths’ Fair

13 October

Freemen’s evening reception

19 October

Open Day tours of the Hall

21 October

Freemen’s evening reception

6 November

Luncheon Club

9 November

Open Day tours of the Hall

7 December

Open Day tours of the Hall

18 December

Luncheon Club

2016

11 January

Open Day tours of the Hall

2 February

Trial of the Pyx: Opening proceedings

15 February

Open Day tours of the Hall

1-4 March

Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council: Exhibition

14 March

Open Day tours of the Hall

18 March

Luncheon Club

12 April

The Goldsmiths’ Annual Lecture: Dr. David Starkey

29 April

Trial of the Pyx: Delivery of the Verdicts

Please check our website for news of forthcoming events.

Clerk

Mr. R.G. Melly

DeputyClerk

Mr. N.J. Harland

DeputyWarden

Dr. R.M. Organ

Director,Goldsmiths’Centre

Mr. P.J. Taylor

DirectorofFinance

Mrs. S. Bailey

Librarian

Mr. D.A. Beasley

GrantsOfficer

Miss C. Brown

SuperintendentAssayer

Mr. J.B. Love

CommunicationsOfficer

Mr. M. Macdonald

Hallkeeper

Mr. R.T. McCrow

Director,CommunicationsandMarketing

Mr. D. Mills

PersonnelManager

Mr. C.L. Painter

ArtDirector&Curator

Miss. R.W. Ransome Wallis

Principal Advisers

ConsultantArchitect

Mr. R.S. Melville

PropertySolicitor

Mr. M. Swainston

Surveyor

Mr. J. Dick