Origins of the Liberty Cymric Silver Range by Anthony Bernbaum Introduction

archibald knox soc booklet 2014 with corrections.qxp 24/03/2014 10:43 Page 26 Origins of the Liberty Cymric Silver Range by Anthony Bernbaum Introduction This article looks at the period 1898/9 and the birth of the Liberty Cymric silver range. It particularly focuses on the work not just of Knox but also of Oliver Baker, Rex Silver, Bernard Cuzner and David Veazey who are typically recognised as early contributors to the range. The article draws two main conclusions. Firstly that Archibald Knox did contribute significantly to the early Cymric silverware. The article identifies examples of Knox early metalwork design style allowing new designs to be attributed to him, and in some cases possibly away from him. Secondly the article demonstrates that above all one other designer, notably Oliver Baker, played a key role in the launch of the Cymric range in 1899. The article draws extensively on three primary sources. The Silver Studio archive is held at the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, Middlesex University, England (the archive is referred to throughout this article as "MODA"). The archive contains hundreds of early Cymric silver designs, which are unsigned and are therefore not readily identifiable to a designer, but many of which do have names, for example "The Magnus" clock. Secondly the first Liberty Cymric catalogue titles "Cymric silver-work" was published in May 1899. A copy is held at the National Art Library in London1. This is not illustrated but each piece in the catalogue (around 80) is named and described and so a few items can be tied back to the designs at MODA. Finally the article draws on a slightly later Liberty Cymric catalogue from around 1900 which is illustrated, though pieces are not named. The article also draws extensively on a number of secondary sources notably, my own article for the Silver Society Journal Volume 26, 2010 entitled "More Light on the Liberty Metal Work Venture" which focuses on the role of Oliver Baker, Mervyn Levy's book "Liberty Style 1898-1910", the catalogue for exhibition "Archibald Knox at the Silver Studio" by Zoe Hendon and of course Stephen Martin's book, "Archibald Knox". 26 archibald knox soc booklet 2014 with corrections.qxp 24/03/2014 10:43 Page 27 Birth of the Cymric range Haselers and Oliver Baker There is a key article entitled "New Light on the Liberty Metal Work Venture" published by Shirley Bury in 1977 and reprinted most recently in Stephen A Martin's book titled "Archibald Knox". Shirley Bury was the metal work curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum who organised in 1975 a major centenary exhibition at the V&A of Liberty's wares from fashion to metalwork. She was frustrated by the difficulties in identifying the designers and origins of the Cymric range and was subsequently successful in interviewing the elderly Max Haseler who was the son of the late William Rathbone Haseler, who ran the family business W.H. Haseler in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. Max Haseler himself ran W.H. Haseler from around 1920 to 1939. Max Haseler provided a handwritten seven page account of the Haseler firm and its relationship to Liberty at the time of the establishment of the Cymric silver range2. The firm of Haseler was the principal manufacturer of the Cymric silver range, which in May 1901 cemented their Liberty relationship by forming a joint venture company with Liberty, solely for the purpose of manufacturing Liberty silver, and pewter, wares. Max Haseler gave a clear account of his family recollections of the birth of the Cymric range. These are that his father William Rathbone (W.R.) Haseler, who much admired the pre-Raphaelite movement and the work of William Morris, in around 1897, approached his friend Oliver Baker3, a well known water colourist and antiquarian, together with a few other Birmingham artists, and sought to create a new distinctive innovative silver range. In Max Haseler's own words: In about 1897 he [William Haseler] conceived the idea of making some jewellery and silverware from designs which were in complete contrast to the heavy and ugly Victorian style which was in vogue at the time. Most of the designs were the work of Mr Gaskin and his pupils and friend Oliver Baker. He [William Haseler] employed several ex pupils to make up the designs Max Haseler goes on to explain that many silver items were produced in around 1898 but were too distinctive and modern for Haseler's customers. Indeed in Max Haseler's words: ...he [WR Haseler] built up quite a collection of these revolutionary designs but unfortunately he could not persuade any of his customers to buy any of it, in fact some of them laughed at it 27 archibald knox soc booklet 2014 with corrections.qxp 24/03/2014 10:43 Page 28 Examples of such designs are shown in Figs 1a The 1899 Arts and Crafts Society Exhibition and 1b. took place just five months after the launch of the Cymric range and the Catalogue (which is Max Haseler’s account goes on to explain that not illustrated) shows that Baker produced nine Haseler then took them to London and, finally, of the eleven Liberty silver items displayed. found a buyer - that buyer being Libertys which Archibald Knox is not listed in the catalogue at bought the entire range and gained exclusive all, either linked to Liberty or otherwise. The rights to sell this range of artistic silver "within a other two designers listed are Bernard Cuzner five mile radius of Charing Cross, London". The (see below) and A.H. Jones who briefly formed date of this is uncertain, but probably in the first a partnership with Cuzner in around 1902. half of 1899. William Haseler negotiated with Liberty to be the exclusive retailer of the range. John Llewellyn, Managing Director of Liberty at the time and a Welshmen, gave the silver its Cymric name. Max Haseler's account is validated by a near contemporaneous article on Oliver Baker in the journal "The Artist", Volume 32, published in 1901. The [Liberty silver] work was originally undertaken at the request of Messrs Haseler, an Fig 1a. Silver candlesticks. Marked for William Hair Haseler (WHH), Birmingham 1898. Almost enterprising local [Birmingham] certainly pre-dating the Liberty Cymric launch and firm of jewellers and part of what Max Haseler described in his account. silversmiths, who were Awkward but radical in their design. dissatisfied with the inartistic groove into which most of the modern jewellery and silverware had fallen, and were anxious to produce something of higher interest. With this end in view they applied to Oliver Baker, as a personal friend, for assistance. The artist at once consented to see what he could do in an entirely new direction... Fig 1b. Fig 1c. 28 archibald knox soc booklet 2014 with corrections.qxp 24/03/2014 10:43 Page 29 Silver Studio and Oliver Baker So just who was Oliver Baker? He was born in Rex Silver 1856, a fourth son, into a middle class On this basis it would seem appropriate to Birmingham artistic family. Baker's father was assert Haseler and Baker as the primary driving Samuel Henry Baker who was a renowned force in the establishment of the Cymric range, water colourist and RA. Of the four brothers, but there is strong evidence supporting a two died at a relatively young age, leaving competing theory. This is that Liberty, in Oliver and his brother, Harry. It was Harry who conjunction with Rex Silver and the Silver married Willam Haseler's sister, bringing Studio, originated the range. Oliver Baker into the Haseler family. The Silver Studio was a leading design Oliver Baker himself studied art under his company supplying Liberty at the time across father and at the Birmingham School of Art. He a range of wares, principally fabric and was elected a full member of the Royal wallpapers (the name "Silver" refers to the Birmingham Society of Artists (1884) and Royal founder, not the metal). It was based in Cambrian Academy (1908). He was an London, Hammersmith and founded by antiquarian and ran a gallery in Stratford upon Arthur Silver in 1880. After his death in 1896 it Avon for much of his life. His art work was was run by two senior employees, Harry exhibited from 1875 at the Royal Academy, Napper and JP Houghton, until 1900 when Rex Royal Society of British Artists, New Silver, Arthur's son, came of age and took over Watercolour Society, New Gallery and the business. elsewhere though he was never an especially commercially successful artist. He took up The MODA archive contains a sales' register for etching in 1880 and worked mainly in 1898 giving details of designs sold and to watercolour (from 1887). whom. Together these show that as early as October 1898 (the date of the sale register entry Baker died, aged 84, in 1939 and on his death for the silver work for Libertys) the Silver was accorded a sizeable obituary in the Times Studio was designing silver for what would newspaper. The obituary makes no mention of presumably become the Cymric range. Some of Baker's metalwork designs or work for Liberty the sketches at MODA can be attributed to but emphasises the point that Baker was at heart Archibald Knox but many, especially those that an antiquarian with deep knowledge of can be identified to the earliest Cymric medieval and historic artefacts. catalogue of May 1899, do not have Knox's characteristic design features. Since there is no evidence that Oliver Baker designed for the The Work of Silver Studio the presumption historically is that at least one other designer was at work - Oliver Baker and this is traditionally assumed to be Rex Baker's silver work was published in a number Silver4.

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