Sydney Gordon Russell
Encyclopedia
Sir Gordon Russell (20 May 1892 – 7 October 1980) was an English designer, craftsman and educationist.
He came under the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement
from 1904 after his father had moved to Broadway
in the Cotswolds
to be hotelier at the Lygon Arms, through the Guild of Handicraft, the community of metalworkers, enamellers, wood carvers, furniture makers, and printers brought in 1902 by C. R. Ashbee from east London to Chipping Campden
.
Following service in World War I
, for which he was awarded the Military Cross
Sir Gordon Russell at the ODNB , he became a furniture maker and designer.
During World War II
he developed utility furniture
as chairman of the government's Utility Furniture Design Panel.
In 1947 Gordon Russell became director of the Council of Industrial Design (COID) (later renamed the Design Council
.
He became the first chairman of the Crafts Council
.
He was awarded a knighthood in 1955 for services to design.
Notable designs by him include chairs for the re-built Coventry Cathedral
.
His brother Richard Drew Russell was also a designer.
for a portraitportrait head of Sir Gordon Russell image of sculpture in clay. The correspondence file relating to the Russell portrait bust is held in the archivehttp://www.henry-moore-fdn.co.uk/matrix_engine/content.php?page_id=584 HMI Archive of the Henry Moore Foundation
's Henry Moore Institute in Leeds
and the terracotta remains in the collection of the artist. A Bronze is in the collection of the Gordon Russell MuseumGordon Russell Museum in Broadway, Worcestershire
.
He came under the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement
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...
from 1904 after his father had moved to Broadway
Broadway, Worcestershire
Broadway is a village and civil parish in the Worcestershire part of the Cotswolds in England.Often referred to as the "Jewel of the Cotswolds", Broadway village lies beneath Fish Hill on the western Cotswold escarpment...
in the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
to be hotelier at the Lygon Arms, through the Guild of Handicraft, the community of metalworkers, enamellers, wood carvers, furniture makers, and printers brought in 1902 by C. R. Ashbee from east London to Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden is a small market town within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 17th century...
.
Following service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, for which he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
Sir Gordon Russell at the ODNB , he became a furniture maker and designer.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he developed utility furniture
Utility furniture
Utility furniture refers to furniture produced in the United Kingdom during and just after World War II, under a Government scheme which was designed to cope with shortages of raw materials and rationing of consumption...
as chairman of the government's Utility Furniture Design Panel.
In 1947 Gordon Russell became director of the Council of Industrial Design (COID) (later renamed the Design Council
Design Council
The Design Council is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body incorporated by Royal Charter and registered as a charity.Registered charity number 272099.- In the beginning :The Design Council started in 1944 as the Council of Industrial Design...
.
He became the first chairman of the Crafts Council
Crafts Council
The Crafts Council was established in the United Kingdom in 1971 as the national agency for crafts and was granted a Royal Charter in 1982. The Crafts Council’s vision is to position the UK as the global centre for the making, seeing and collecting of contemporary craft...
.
He was awarded a knighthood in 1955 for services to design.
Notable designs by him include chairs for the re-built Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
.
His brother Richard Drew Russell was also a designer.
Portrait bust of Sir Gordon Russell
Gordon Russell sat for sculptor Alan ThornhillAlan Thornhill
Alan Thornhill is a British artist and sculptor whose long association with clay developed from pottery into sculpture. His evolved methods of working enabled the dispensing of the sculptural armature to allow improvisation, whilst his portraiture challenges notions of normality through rigorous...
for a portraitportrait head of Sir Gordon Russell image of sculpture in clay. The correspondence file relating to the Russell portrait bust is held in the archivehttp://www.henry-moore-fdn.co.uk/matrix_engine/content.php?page_id=584 HMI Archive of the Henry Moore Foundation
Henry Moore Foundation
The Henry Moore Foundation is a registered charity in England, established for education and promotion of the fine arts — in particular, to advance understanding of the works of Henry Moore. The charity was set up with a gift from the artist in 1977...
's Henry Moore Institute in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and the terracotta remains in the collection of the artist. A Bronze is in the collection of the Gordon Russell MuseumGordon Russell Museum in Broadway, Worcestershire
Broadway, Worcestershire
Broadway is a village and civil parish in the Worcestershire part of the Cotswolds in England.Often referred to as the "Jewel of the Cotswolds", Broadway village lies beneath Fish Hill on the western Cotswold escarpment...
.
Sources
- Fiona MacCarthy, "Russell, Sir (Sydney) Gordon (1892–1980)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 9 Dec 2006