This is a design drawing in pencil, ink, and wash on paper of Cobham Church, Surrey by Philip Webb. The drawing shows a plan marked with the proposed arrangement of gas lighting. To the right of the plan Webb has made notes detailing the supply of the gas and the schedule and type of works. The sheet is signed and dated 1870. The back of the drawing also identifies the subject as Cobham Church. Cobham Church is the church of Saint Andrew, parts of which Webb was commissioned to restore in the early 1870s.
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.