Long Street Methodist, Middleton, Manchester
Edgar Wood Society members are currently researching the three pairs of semi-detached houses, 153-163 Manchester Old Road, Middleton and the people associated with them. Continue reading “Researching Edgar Wood’s first houses”
It’s gratifying when owners of Edgar Wood buildings show a deep concern for the heritage under their care and this is especially true for Greystoke, a Grade II listed building in Hale, Cheshire, which the Edgar Wood Society is currently assisting with through its chair, David Morris.
Greystoke is one of Edgar Wood’s seven Hale houses. These wonderful house designs trace Edgar’s style as it developed from vernacular inspired Arts and Crafts to the very first art deco architecture. Greystoke was built in 1902 and with nearby The Homestead represents his more expressionist arts and crafts manner.
The owner has liaised with the Edgar Wood historian and architect, John Archer, for many years and this shows in the quality of the work that has been done previously. The new works will involve restoring a series of lost features using old photographs and the society’s knowledge of related buildings and features.
A fascinating outpost of continental art nouveau is the Latvian capital Riga and its famous architect contemporary of Edgar Wood, Mikhail Eisenstein whose flamboyant and sculptural buildings are very engaging.
Today, Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its art nouveau architecture making up an amazing 33% of all city centre buildings… the highest density of art nouveau in the world.
Here is a new on-line piece about Riga’s architecture and cultural associations that is well worth reading…
A mixture of styles in the Latvian capital, by Katherine Wood
Here is an interesting piece in The Scotsman on how the extensive wood carving associated with the restoration project is being undertaken by Latvian craftspeople.
The mission to resurrect the GSA’s Mackintosh library, by Dani Garavelli
Japanese art had enormous influence on art nouveau and the British Museum’s Hokusai – beyond the Great Wave exhibition is literally making waves of enthusiasm this summer. But what if you can’t get down to London? Well did you know that Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery also has the Great Wave as well Hokusai’s ‘Red Fuji’?They are not isolated prints, either, but part of the country’s second largest Japanese print collection which also includes much of 60-Odd Provinces and 53 Stations of the Tokaido Road series by that other great Japanese master, Hiroshige.
You could event visit both!
The Edgar Wood film is now well under way and with this (largely) sunny weather, no time is being wasted. Below are some photos of the shoot at Briarcourt, Lindley, near Huddersfield, while here is an excellent report in Rochdale Online.
Will Mellor: an arts and crafts book artist24 April – 26 May 2017
In the Foyer, Sir Kenneth Green Library. Continues upstairs on the 3rd Floor of the library, in the Special Collections Reading Room.This exhibition will be closing before the end of the month. See it while you can!
Phone: +44(0)161 247 610
Fax: +44(0)161 247 6349
E-mail: lib-spec-coll@mmu.ac.uk
| Monday – Friday | 10.00 – 16.00 |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 10.00 – 19.00 (term time only) |
| Saturday | 12.00 – 16.00 (term time only) |
Continue reading “Will Mellor: an arts and crafts book artist – MMU Exhibition – ends 26th May”
Filming for Edgar Wood has now begun… it started on Thursday with the first tranche of shooting at the following Edgar Wood houses… The Sheil, The Hollies, Greystoke and Halecroft.
There will be another Hale shoot later in the summer. Next week, Anthony Dolan and crew will be filming at Briarcourt, near Huddersfield.
Lists of art deco buildings are always popular. HERE is one for Edinburgh, a place not normally associated with the style.
Number 7 Hammersmith Terrace in West London has been sensitively restored and re-opened for the public as part of the Arts & Crafts Hammersmith project. Read the report HERE.
We reported on the project’s new website in January.
Read Maev Kennedy’s Guardian article… HERE
Click HERE for the BBC report.
Last December, Middleton Heritage Film Group put in a Lottery bid for a film about the life and work of Edgar Wood… and was successful! Since then, the Edgar Wood Society has been researching and co-writing the film with Anthony Dolan of the film group. The filming will commence next month, based at the Edgar Wood Centre on Long Street, Middleton.
Edgar Wood’s Jubilee Fountain is currently being restored… see photos and a video on our sister site HERE
Trafford Council under the provisions of the 1990 Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act has approved…
The South Hale Conservation Area includes all of Hale’s Edgar Wood designed houses, including the Grade I listed Royd House. Continue reading “South Hale Conservation Area Appraisal completed”
The application by Greater Manchester Building Preservation Trust for listed building consent (Ref: 16/01312/LBC) to restore the School buildings at Long Street Methodist was approved by Rochdale planning department on 7th April. The scheme was drawn up by Alan Gardner Associates last November, with assistance from Greater Manchester Building Preservation Trust conservation officer, David Morris. You can see the approved restoration work by clicking the ‘Documents’ tab on the online planning file HERE
This is part of the rescue plan for the buildings, which so many people supported last Autumn CLICK HERE and HERE . Detailed grant bids are now being drawn up and it is hoped that restoration work will begin late summer or early autumn.
An early Edgar Wood designed commercial building has been restored by the Edgar Wood and Middleton Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) conservation scheme. The building was in a terribly mutilated state and its appearance is now a hundred times better than it was. The THI, which is superbly managed by Sue Oakley Rochdale MBC conservation officer, is warmly congratulated for its achievement. Bringing historic buildings forward for restoration is a slow and complicated procedure and one that doesn’t always bear fruit. Continue reading “Restoration of Edgar Wood’s Guardian Buildings – A Review”
10 of the best European cities for art deco design