This is a survey drawing in pencil and watercolour on tracing paper by Philip Webb, 1866. The sheet shows the existing streets and proposed location of new building sites, flanking the south end of Grainger Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. The existing streets are coloured with orange wash, the proposed new sites with red wash, and existing buildings are outlined in grey wash. The drawing is dated 22 December, 1866.
Webb produced this drawing for Newcastle Corporation, which was constructing a new street to link the railway station with the centre of town. In 1867, however, Webb withdrew from the project and his designs were never realised. This is one of many drawings of the street and intended buildings, which are also in the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Philip Speakman Webb (Oxford, 1831-Sussex, 1915) was a prominent British architect who designed numerous buildings throughout Great Britain. Known for his contributions to British vernacular architecture, Webb was also a skilled draughtsman, and designer of tableware, tiles, stained glass, and furniture. He also designed gravestones and memorials for his friends and clients. Webb lent his hand to many collaborative projects and worked closely with his colleagues, namely William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Edward Burne Jones. His precise drawings of animals, particularly birds, frequently adorn tiles, stained glass, textiles, and wallpaper produced by Morris and Co. Webb is best known for designing Morris’ Red House in Bexleyheath, as well as Clouds House, Naworth Castle, and several London town houses. Among his other accomplishments, Webb is attributed with laying the groundwork for the Arts and Crafts and Modern movements, establishing longstanding principles in historic preservation, and creating some of the most influential designs still studied and celebrated today.