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Special Design for Gas Pendant barms 18 lights

Design
1850-1876 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a presentation drawing for a pendant, hexagonal gaselier with a half plan beneath to show to a client. The design is annotated with both the figure of '£25', which is the cost, and the dimensions of '3 feet' for width of the finished product. Francis Skidmore employed designers to work for him later in his career as his business expanded so this design is only possibly by him. The shape of the gaselier with upright jets and the central, pendant boss are like a photograph of a gaselier from the Skidmore design archive at the V&A. The photograph is inscibed 'Hereford Cathedral' on the back and thus dates to about 1862 (E.424-2006). There are some similarities with a photograph of another gaselier (E.409-2006). This design was made at Skidmore's Art Manufactures and Constructive Ironwork Company at Alma Street, Coventry, founded in 1859. Skidmore was interested in the gas lighting of churches and worked with Sir George Gilbert Scott on the restoration of medieval, ecclesiastical buidlings. In addition, he was commissioned by Scott to work on new buildings such as the Midland Hotel, St. Pancras, London, in which he installed a lighting scheme.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSpecial Design for Gas Pendant barms 18 lights (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Pencil and watercolour on paper
Brief description
Design for a gas pendant with eighteen lights possibly by Francis Skidmore, 1850-1876.
Physical description
Design for a pendant, hexagonal gaselier with a half plan, in pink watercolour, beneath.
Dimensions
  • Height: 28.8cm
  • Width: 16.2cm
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'HALF Plan' (in pencil)
  • '£25 / 3 feet / 22.00 / nett' (In pencil. The gaselier cost £25 and was intended to be 3 feet across.)
  • There is a sketch of a road map on the back of the design.
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the Friends of the National Libraries
Object history
The provenance is the grand-daughter of Francis Skidmore.
Production
Francis Skidmore employed designers to work for him later in his career as his business expanded so this design is only possibly by him. The shape of the gaselier with upright jets and the central, pendant boss are like a photograph of a gaselier from the Skidmore design archive which is inscibed 'Hereford Cathedral' on the back and thus dates to about 1862 (E.424-2006). There are some similarities with a photograph of another gaselier (E.409-2006). This design was made at Skidmore's Art Manufactures and Constructive Ironwork Company at Alma Street, Coventry, founded in 1859.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is a presentation drawing for a pendant, hexagonal gaselier with a half plan beneath to show to a client. The design is annotated with both the figure of '£25', which is the cost, and the dimensions of '3 feet' for width of the finished product. Francis Skidmore employed designers to work for him later in his career as his business expanded so this design is only possibly by him. The shape of the gaselier with upright jets and the central, pendant boss are like a photograph of a gaselier from the Skidmore design archive at the V&A. The photograph is inscibed 'Hereford Cathedral' on the back and thus dates to about 1862 (E.424-2006). There are some similarities with a photograph of another gaselier (E.409-2006). This design was made at Skidmore's Art Manufactures and Constructive Ironwork Company at Alma Street, Coventry, founded in 1859. Skidmore was interested in the gas lighting of churches and worked with Sir George Gilbert Scott on the restoration of medieval, ecclesiastical buidlings. In addition, he was commissioned by Scott to work on new buildings such as the Midland Hotel, St. Pancras, London, in which he installed a lighting scheme.
Collection
Accession number
E.380-2006

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Record createdOctober 10, 2007
Record URL
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