The fascination with Frank Lloyd Wright continues and a new Long Read article in the Independent outlines proposals for building one of his unbuilt designs in Somerset, a late work the O’Keefe House of 1947.
On-line fund-raising to save Voysey’s Winsford Cottage Hospital
The Landmark Trust aims to raise £355,000 from the public in the next 12 months to save the Arts & Crafts Grade II* listed Winsford Cottage Hospital in Devon, which was designed by C. F. A. Voysey in his long low-lying architectural style.
The money will match a £487,000 grant offer from Heritage Lottery Fund. The trust has also received a lottery grant of £96,000 to develop the project. Full details are HERE on the trust’s website. Continue reading “On-line fund-raising to save Voysey’s Winsford Cottage Hospital”
The house that time forgot…
Pink Art Deco mansion almost untouched since 1930s is for sale in Essex for £1.5m – a good description with photos of the Walter Crittall’s art deco home.
Researching Edgar Wood’s first houses
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”
The furthest travelled group to the Edgar Wood Centre yet
A small group of Arts and Crafts enthusiasts from America, visited the Edgar Wood Centre to conclude their day in Manchester, under the guidance of Julian Holder (Salford University, formally of English Heritage). Earlier in the day their itinerary included the Rylands Library and the Beehive Mills in Ancoats.
POLLING STARTS EARLY
Members of the Edgar Wood Society were up with the lark to open up at 6.30am for polling. The second time this week that the small lecture room has been in ‘commercial’ use. There is certainly a demand in the area for this size of room with easy access at the rear.
It could be a late supper for the Edgar Wood Society member who clears away the polling booth and locks up after an even longer day for the presiding officers!
Course for Tablets for the Over Fifties!
The first of 8 sessions for getting the best out of your tablet (the computer type) for the young at heart, took place this morning in the small lecture room at the Edgar Wood Centre.
This is a free course run by Pride Media Association of Rochdale and was fully subscribed, the small numbers allowing for individual tutition. The location being chosen, because of the bright aspect of the room and the easy access.
We look forward to further courses at the centre, but book early.
Greystoke
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.
Art Nouveau in Riga, Latvia
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
Glasgow School of Art Library being restored by Latvians
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
See Hokusai’s The Wave… in Blackburn
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!
Preparation for Middleton in Bloom
The Fifth Tour Group of the Season
Our fifth group of the season, the College of the 3rd Age, Crumpsall , visited the Church and School Rooms this morning and were welcomed on the steps by the tour guide of the day, Christine. Previous group visits include a group of fourteen led by Manchester Tour Guide Sibby, who is also a committee member of the EWS. Two groups of over twenty from the Oldham U3A members, a photographic group organised by Pride Media Arts and the Rochdale Circle. If you would like to organise a tour around the Church or the Golden Cluster buildings or Edgar Wood properties, get in touch via the artsandcraftschurch.org web site or tel. 0161 6530512
Edgar Wood Film Shoot at Briarcourt
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 artist – MMU Exhibition – ends 26th May
Will Mellor: an arts and crafts book artist
24 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!
Special Collections
Sir Kenneth Green Library
All Saints, Manchester M15 6BH
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…
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.
Edinburgh’s art deco buildings
Lists of art deco buildings are always popular. HERE is one for Edinburgh, a place not normally associated with the style.
Emery Walker’s house restored…
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.
Wightwick Manor to display the De Morgan collection of paintings and ceramics in a new gallery.
Wightwick Manor to display the De Morgan collection of paintings and ceramics in a new gallery.
Read Maev Kennedy’s Guardian article… HERE
Glasgow begins to plan for next year’s Mackintosh anniversary
Click HERE for the BBC report.