Newlyn Copper was a class of arts and crafts

Arts and Crafts movement

Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...

 copperware originating in Newlyn

Newlyn

Newlyn is a town and fishing port in southwest Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Newlyn forms a conurbation with the neighbouring town of Penzance and is part of Penzance civil parish...

 in Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

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History

Late in the 19th century the fishing industry in Cornwall was becoming unreliable as a source of income: bad weather and seasonal fluctuations brought enforced periods of inactivity. It was decided that an alternative means of employment could be gained by training the unemployed fishermen to produce items in copper.

After some early experiments, the Class specialised in repoussé copper work and produced a wide range of domestic and decorative items. The school remained active for about thirty years after its establishment in 1890.

John Drew Mackenzie

John Drew Mackenzie

John Drew MacKenzie was a famous master craftsman and instructor of the Newlyn Copper school in Cornwall, UK. His style is described as arts and crafts/art nouveau. He was educated at Clifton College...

, an artist who settled at Newlyn was a key figure in setting up the Newlyn Industrial Class, assisted by the benefactor and local M.P.

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

, Thomas Bedford Bolitho, and artists Reginald Dick, T.C. Gotch

Thomas Cooper Gotch

Thomas Cooper Gotch was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter and book illustrator, and brother of John Alfred Gotch the noted architect.-Early life:...

, Perry Craft and John Pearson

John Pearson (artist)

John Pearson was a famous master craftsman of the Newlyn School and Guild of Handicrafts. He worked in copper and his style is described as arts and crafts / art nouveau....

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Other known artists who produced work in the Newlyn style included: Phillip Hodder, William P. Wright, William Pezzack, Tom Batten, John Payne Cotton, Herbert Dyer

Herbert Dyer

Herbert Dyer was a famous coppersmith who worked in Mousehole, near Penzance, during the 1920s, influenced by the Newlyn School of craftsmen near Penzance, Cornwall....

, Obed Nicholls

Obed Nicholls

Obed Nicholls was a famous Cornish artist in copper repousse in the art nouveau style of Newlyn in Cornwall.He was born without the use of his legs and used a wheelchair in his parents' house. J. D. Mackenzie, founder of the Newlyn Industrial Class, arranged for him to attend evening classes until...

, John Curnow, John Edgar Laity, George Mildren, Joe Pengelly and William Tonkin

William Tonkin

Wilfred Tonkin, born 1898, was an apprentice at Newlyn Copperworks in Cornwall for twelve to eighteen months after leaving school. He was the last surviving pre-first World War copperworker and there at the time of Obed Nicholls, Tom Batten and Johnny Payne Cotton.-External links:*...

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The range of objects produced by the class including trays, mirror and photograph frames, chambersticks, plates and chargers, boxes, bowls and coffee pots: designs typically featured fish, ships and other nautical themes.

A permanent collection, representing much of the work of the original Newlyn School, is on view at the Penlee House Gallery and Museum in Penzance

Penzance

Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...

. Newlyn Copper is now highly valued by collectors.

External links

• http://www.penleehouse.org.uk/art-history/newlyn-da.htm
• http://www.oldcopper.org/newlyn.htm
• http://www.artscrafts.org.uk/branches/newlyn/newlynhistory.html
• http://homepage.ntlworld.com/decarts/dali%20212.html A classic example of Newlyn copper
• http://www.collectorcafe.com/article_archive.asp?article=410&id=1294
• http://www.poikilia.co.uk/johnpearson.php
• http://www.jordanchard.com/webapp/jordanchard/servlet/JCViewPage?purpose=showpaintings&showby=artist&pagetitle=Newlyn+Copper%3Cbr%3E1890-1920&showid=50 Newlyn copper on Jordan & Chard website

Further reading

• Berriman, Hazel (1986) Arts and Crafts in Newlyn 1890-1930 Newlyn: Newlyn Orion; Newlyn Art Gallery ISBN 0-9506579-5-6