To see the News and Events Archive 2009, click here

Stations of the Cross,
RC church of Our Lady and St Alphege, Bath

Stations of the Cross,
RC church of Our Lady and St Alphege, Bath

Tennyson toposcope, Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight

Bronze statue of Tennyson at Aldworth by
Antonio Arena, unveiled 23 August 1997

'Death of Voltaire', 1778-1800 by Samuel Percy

'The Dogs of Alcibiades', Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets

June 2010

Statues or memorials to Leander Starr Jameson

A student who is studying for an MA in Modern History at the University of Kent has been in touch with us. He states, "For my dissertation I am looking at the reaction to, and popularity of, the Jameson Raid of 1895/1896 among the British Public. Here is a link to some information on the Raid if you aren't familiar with it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jameson_raid . My dissertation supervisor Dr Peter Donaldson suggested that I email you to try and track down a statue or memorial of Dr Leander Starr Jameson, the man that led the ill-fated raid, or any other leading members of the raid. I know that Dr Jameson was born in Edinburgh and his family had close connections to the city. If you could assist me in any way in finding a memorial related to the raid or the people involved with it along with information surrounding it, i.e. who put it up and any debate that went into it or any other help you can give me will be greatly appreciated."

Please let us know if you have any information with regard to this and we will pass it on.

May 2010

We have been contacted by a gentleman who is doing some research into the work of Lutyens at Tyringham Hall. He is looking for an expert upon McMillan. He says that, "The pair worked together on the fountains when Lutyens did a design for the gardens in the 1920s and, at the same time, McMillan's statues of Apollo and Diana were placed at the entrance of the house. I have a suspicion, based upon its design, that the actual setting for the statues was the work of Lutyens but would like to find some documentary evidence of this."

If anyone can help in any way with this enquiry, please let us know and we will pass the information on.

Stations of the Cross, RC church of Our Lady and St Alphege, Bath

We have had a query from a lady who is trying to discover the sculptor of 14 low-relief stone Stations of the Cross set into the walls of the RC Church of Our Lady and St Alphege, Bath. The church itself was built by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1927-29. The Stations were added sometime after the church was completed, and were in place by the time the church was consecrated, so the time frame cited is between 1929 and 1954. The lady thought that they may have been done by one of Gill's pupils/assistants, possibly in the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic at Ditchling but they are not thought to be by Cribb or Skelton. She notes that the figures appear to have almost Asiatic features, as if perhaps the sculptor had been looking at Islamic miniatures. There is apparently no mention of the sculptures in the church's archives. There is a detailed entry on the sculptor of the capitals at the church, however, on the church's website (http://www.saintalphege.org.uk/), one William Drinkwater Gough and it may be that the stations are by the same sculptor - Scott used him elsewhere. There are identical Stations in churches in the Church of St Alphege in West Horsley and it seems that the West Horsley ones (which are painted, framed and hung from a hook on the wall) could be plaster copies of the ones in Bath. The local community are keen to get the church listing upgraded to II*, and they are preparing a new guidebook for the church, so it would be wonderful to solve this mystery!

If anyone has any further information on these pieces, please let us know and we will pass it on.

April 2010

Elizabeth Hutchings, the Farringford Tennyson Society, Isle of Wight

We have been contacted by Elizabeth Hutchings, an historian and founder member of the Farringford Tennyson Society on the Isle of Wight. Elizabeth brings our attention to the granite toposcope, a monument which indicates the direction and distance to visible landmarks, commemorating Tennyson's bi-centenary, that was unveiled on 6 August 2009. Local schoolchildren measured the distances using GPS. They calculated them in kilometres but the Freshwater Bay Residents' Association, whose project it was, decided on miles. You can see film footage of the unveiling of the monument and hear a recording of Tennyson reading from his poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8186780.stm
The granite came from Keeley Granite in South Africa who would have obtained the original from Zimbabwe. Elizabeth points out the interesting connection that Fred and Nell Keeley had only just sold Tennyson's home, Aldworth near Haslemere. They had restored the building and gardens. There is a wonderful statue of Tennyson in front of the house by the sculptor Antonio Arena.

Elizabeth has published several books including a collection of notes, Busts and Titbits , that includes pieces about the sculptor Thomas Woolner, who was a close friend of Tennyson, and about other key personages of the Freshwater Bay area. The Woolner bust can be seen at Calbourne Mill which is open to the public (see http://www.calbournewatermill.co.uk/ ). Elizabeth has also published a book about the sculptures of George Frederick Watts.

Richard Hutchings, Elizabeth's husband,, who sadly died in 1991, was also an historian and writer and published a book about Farringford, Tennyson's home on the Isle of Wight. For information about Farringford, see: http://www.farringford.co.uk/

If you would like to see some more of Elizabeth's images and details of her books, you can download a pdf by clicking here.

March 2010

Samuel Percy (1753-1819), wax portrait modeller

The life and work of the British wax portrait modeller and aspiring sculptor Samuel Percy is the subject of a research programme being undertaken by Ruth Ord-Hume of Guildford, Surrey. Although he is best known for his miniature portraits, both coloured and white, and his small white wax busts, records suggest Percy tried hard between c.1780 and 1806 to be given the opportunity to create public statues, apparently without success. This included the monuments to Nelson and the younger Pitt for the Guildhall in London and the 5th Duke of Bedford whose statue was erected in Russell Square as well as Sir George Savile for York Minster. Percy was not successful in getting any of these commissions but it is quite likely there is evidence of other attempts hidden in archives.
Percy's less well known pieces are the wax tableaux of miniature figures, or 'conversation pieces', which he exhibited. The one illustrated here depicts the Death of Voltaire and dates from between 1778 and 1800. The figures, bed and bed hangings are all wax. It is not signed but is in the style of Percy; research continues into the modeller.

Ruth Ord-Hume would be delighted to hear of any or indeed, to be in contact with anyone who either knows something of the life and work of Samuel Percy or has any of his works. You can contact Ruth directly via email: r.ordhume@googlemail.com

February 2010

‘Locomotive', galvanised steel. 1971 by Charles Sansbury (1916-1989).
Stephenson Shopping Centre, Killingworth / Stephenson Railway Museum.

Last year (see September 2009 below) a query was received from a resident of Killingworth, North Tyneside , about the above sculpture that stood in the Stephenson Shopping Centre, Killingworth. The ‘lost' sculpture turned up in the grounds of the Stephenson Railway Museum who are looking at the possibility of restoring and resiting the work.

Following this link: www.tynetown.co.uk/information/item/2589 will take you to a pdf with more information and some wonderful original images of 'The Killingworth Engine'. You can find out more about the Stephenson Railway Museum at: http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/stephenson/

Job Cole (1835-1901) and James Wedgewood (d1973)

We have had a plea for information about the York sculptor Job Cole (1835 to 1901) and another for information about James Wedgewood who sculpted the Mary Stanford Memorial in Rye Harbour (see the Public Sculpture of Sussex Database for details about the memorial). Our enquirer says about James Wedgewood: Studied modeling at the Royal College of Art, receiving his ARCA diploma in 1915. Elected an associate of the Royal Society of British Sculptors in 1944 and fellow in 1945. He resigned his membership in 1961. He had a studio at 10 Fulham Park Gardens 1935-57 and he died in 1973.

If anyone can provide further details about these two sculptors please let us know and we will direct the information to our enquirers.

Public sculptures in Southwark

One of our readers has directed us to a collection of excellent photographs that he has placed on the Flickr site relating to public sculpture in Southwark. He says that our National Sculpture Database was a great help when he compiled it. 90% of the work was done as a personal project, but towards the end he was given a few days of work by Southwark Council Culture Service to add some extra items, check on the condition of some of the more significant works (mainly those that might be of interest to metal thieves) and collate the information into a database. The work was completed a year ago before he moved to the south coast - so he says it is more incomplete now than it was then. We are told that Southwark Council has copies of the images and the database on disc in the Culture Service office and at the Southwark Local History Library, where the public can access them.

To see the photographs, click on the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/phil-seaford/sets/72157623337491302/detail/

'The Dogs of Alcibiades'
Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets

In early February we had an email about the sad condition of two sculptures in Victoria Park, Grove Road, Tower Hamlets. The two stone dogs, entitled 'The Dogs of Alcibiades', were donated to the park in 1912 by Lady Aignarth. Just recently we have had another email from the same gentleman to say that he had been contacted by a Councilor who states that the stone statues have been taken away for restoration. The Councilor says, "Vandalism and the elements have combined to seriously damage the statues in recent years and they will now be restored by a firm in Poplar. The restored originals will later be housed in a secure indoor location in the park with much more robust replicas put on the plinths." The restoration of the statues is apparently included in a £5million bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund that the Council hope to hear about in the next six weeks.

Our contributor directed us to his wonderful website where you can read about the worsening condition of these pieces over the past 25 years or so: http://www.barryoneoff.co.uk/html/victoria_park.html . The website also contains other fascinating stories relating to the history of the East End of London. The author is a fully qualified City of London tour guide and you can find details about booking a tour at: http://www.cityoflondonwalks.info/

January 2010

Eight carved biblical scenes. 1889 by Thomas Edwards.
55 Bridge Street, Chester

We have had a query regarding the above panels that feature on our National Sculpture Database (Merseyside and Cheshire CHCT0007). Beneath each panel are inscriptions which explain the reliefs; Departed into Egypt; In Whom I am well pleased; Susanna and the Elders; Joseph and his Mistress; I call for my Friends; Cain and Abel; Jeremiah; and Praise Him Upon the Harpe. There is a sole plate to the artificial third-storey, made up of carved wooden letters, painted white on a background of black and blue painted wood. It is inscribed, 'To God. My King. And. My. Country.' Our enquirer would like to find out more about these panels and, referring to the inscription on the sole plate, says, 'Which King is it supposed to be, and why? If anyone has any further information about the panels, please let us know and we will pass on the information.

Parlanti Foundry

We have had an enquiry from a descendant of the Parlanti family who had foundries at Parsons Green, Fulham, London (Alessandro Parlanti) and West Kensington, London (Ercole J Parlanti). Our enquirer is building a database of sculptures cast by the foundries and says, "I have so far found about 20 nationally and internationally, but am trying to build a bigger database as I belive they were prolific especially in first world war memorials". If anyone can provide information about the foundry and of any sculptures cast by them, please let us know and we will pass on the information.