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English Leadwork

Its Art and History

Lawrence Weaver

 

Hardback £62.00  $124.00

Publication date 2002

288 pages including over 400 illustrations

ISBN 978 1 873394 60 1
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Lawrence Weaver’s design reference work appeared in 1909, and is now available from Donhead in this re-printed facsimile edition. It describes and documents many examples of decorative leadwork, which being durable and attractive lends itself in its simplicity to a multitude of forms. Whilst examining in detail the history and workmanship to be found on fonts, statues, urns and vases, the book also includes more modest structures such as pipes, pipeheads and rain-water cisterns. The author also explores the use of lead in roofing, particularly for spires, steeples and domes, and points out that it is one of the most efficient of roofing materials, giving many excellent examples of its use on Sir Christopher Wren’s churches in London.

With over 400 illustrations, comprising black and white photographs and drawings of all the different types of lead ornaments and structures, this volume will be of value to craftsmen engaged in leadwork, conservation professionals and all architects and architectural historians with an interest in this field.

This is a hardback, high quality reproduction of the original book with a new Introduction written specifically for this publication.

 

Introduction to the 2002 edition

Read the new introduction by Andrew Naylor

Contents:
Introductory Chapter v Fonts v Destroyed and incorrectly described examples – Geographical distribution – Classification by design – Detailed description of the thirty existing ancient fonts – Various font-like vessels v Rain-Water Pipeheads v Early uses of Down-pipes – Hampton Court – Windsor Castle – Haddon Hall – Knole Park – Dome Alley, Winchester – Hatfield – Guildford – St John’s, Oxford – The character of the early work – the overlapping of styles – Bolton Hall – Stonyhurst and Bideford – Local schools of leadwork – Shrewsbury, Nottingham, and Aberdeen v Cisterns v Possibilities of decorative treatment – The great tank at St Fagan’s – Methods of making – West Country and London cisterns compared – Detailed descriptions of examples illustrated v Medieval Leaded Spires v The character of spires – Classification – "Collar" and "Broach" – Destroyed cathedral spires – Existing leaded spires – Scots leadworkers – St Nicholas, Aberdeen – Old St Paul’s – Chesterfield v Leaded Steeples of the Renaissance v Wren’s steeples and the sky-line of London – A classification – Class (a), The two true spires – Class (b), The spire-form steeples – Some destroyed steeples – Scottish examples – The character of Wren’s work v Leaded Domes, Lanterns, and Walls – a Lost Fountain v Curves in roof-lines, a slow development – The use of lanterns – Wren’s treatment of domes and lanterns – Class (c), Constructive details of their leadwork – Archer’s work – The National Gallery – Nonsuch and Cheapside – The great goundation of Windsor v Lead Portrait Statues v Fairfax – Charles II – William III – Marlborough – Prince Eugène – Queen Charlotte – Sir John Cass – George I v Lead Figures Generally v The cross of Cheapside – Neptune at Bristol – Karne – Melbourne, Derbyshire – Giovanni de Bologna – Harrowden Hall – Wrest Park – Wilton – Nun Monkton – Methods of casting – Hampton Court – Syon – Castle Hill – Deceitful figures – Forgers of "antique" leadwork – Studley Royal – The water note in leadwork – Eighteenth-century references to statues – Hardwick Hall – Glemham Hall – Enfield Old Park – Norfolk market crosses –The London apprentice v Vases and Flowerpots v Shenstone on urns – Melbourne – Parham House – Hampton Court –Windsor – Wilton – Castle Hill v Sepulchral Leadwork v Romano-British coffins and ossuaries – Medieval coffins and heart cases – Absolution crosses – Tomb lettering v Various Objects and Decorative Applications of Lead v Roman pigs and pipes – Pilgrims’ signs – Papal Bullæ – Ornaments on woodwork – Charms – Tobacco boxes – Ventilating quarries v Modern Leadwork v Fonts – Rain-water heads – Cisterns – The larger architectural uses – Figures on buildings and in gardens – Fountains – Vases – Clock-faces – Sundials – Gasfitting – Inscription v Bibliography of Papers, Books etc on Leadwork v Index.
Read the new introduction by Andrew Naylor The author:
Lawrence Weaver began his working life at an architectural practice in Bristol as a sales representative selling a line of architectural fixtures and fittings. He moved on to become the London representative of a firm of ironfounders, Lockerbie and Wilkinson, who made cast-iron ware for the building trade. One of his first tasks was to revise and redesign their catalogue. Part of their trade was, naturally, rainwater goods; hopper heads, downpipes, bends and so on, plain and decorated. This appears to have stimulated his fascination for leadwork, and his sales rounds in early twentieth-century London must have given him a wonderful opportunity to see many at first hand. His interest expanded to encompass all forms of historical leadwork and he began to diligently track down and photograph examples, many of which were used to illustrate English Leadwork: Its Art and History.
From the reviews:
The book … has so much to offer the historian, conservator, leadworking student and anyone with an interest and passion in one of the most neglected areas of historic building conservation.

SPAB News

 

Without doubt, this is a classic book, and the new facsimile edition by donhead is welcome.. This publication will be useful for training the sensibilities of both craftsman and conservator. As a seminal work for the architect and historian, it sets out superbly the research and scholarship of a century ago. It has a comprehensive bibliography of English leadwork by subject category.

Context

 

It offers a wealth of guidance and information to anyone concerned with replicating or renewing the original detail in old worked lead.

Building Engineer

 
 

Donhead Publishing 2012