Arcade Sale | London
Arcade Sale | London
Lot Closed
October 29, 02:25 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 GBP
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Read more.Lot Details
Description
The glass body acid etched with a scene of classical warriors training, the collar with classical friezes on a matted ground, with palm leaf thumb-piece.
28cm, 11in. high
Frederick Elkington (31 May 1826 – 1 March 1905) was the eldest child of George Richards Elkington (17 October 1801 – 22 September 1865) and his wife, Mary Auster (1803-1858), daughter of James Balleny, a general factor and wholesale ironmonger of Birmingham. Upon the death of G.R. Elkington, the driving force behind the success of Elkington & Co., patentees of the electroplating process, gilders, manufactures of silver, gilt and plated goods and bronzists, the running of the business passed to his sons: Frederick, James Balleny Elkington (1830-1907), Alfred John Elkington (1834-1910), Howard Elkington (1836-1898) and Hyla Elkington (1839-1901). As senior partner, Frederick Elkington entered his first mark on behalf of Elkington & Co. in Birmingham in November 1868. Other, younger members of the Elkington family later joined the partnership. In 1887 Elkington’s was converted into a limited liability company under the style of Elkington & Co. Ltd., with Thomas Henry Rollason as managing director, and Frederick Elkington heading a group of other directors.
‘DEATH OF MR ELKINGTON HEAD OF FAMOUS BIRMINGHAM FIRM.
‘We regret to announce the somewhat sudden death of Mr. Frederick Elkington, D.L., J.P., of Wolverley, near Kidderminster, head of the famous firm of electroplate manufacturers, Elkington, Ltd., of Birmingham. The death took place last evening at Wolverley. . . Mr. Elkington [who had suffered] from pneumonia of a very virulent type . . . was in his seventy-ninth year. . . .
‘The deceased gentleman was the eldest son of Mr. George Richard [sic] Elkington, the founder of the famous business in Newhall-street and the original patentee in 1838 of the electro-plating process. An early partner in that business [then styled Elkington, Mason & Co.] was the late Sir Josiah Mason [(1795-1881), the Birmingham steel pen maker].
‘Subsequently the business descended to the five sons of the founder, and Mr. Frederick Elkington became senior partner, a position he occupied till the business was formed into a limited liability company in 1887. From that date to his death Mr. Elkington was chairman of directors, and he continued to take an active share in the management of the business, having been in attendance at the works as recently as last week.’ (Birmingham Gazette & Express, Birmingham, Tuesday, 3 January 1905, p. 6f)
‘In past years [Mr. Elkington] was well known in the Pembrey [Carmarthenshire] district as the head of the firm of Mason and Elkington [sic], established more than half-a-century ago, and everyone with whom he came in contact could not fail to recognise that he was the very incarnation of fair-mindedness and other good qualities worth having, and the name of Frederick Elkington had only to be mentioned to secure a mean of reverential honour and esteem. Indeed, of him it may with truth be said that he steadfastly and worthily upheld the best traditions of the honourable house of Elkington and Company, now so well known from San Francisco to the Arctic circle.’ (The Llanelly Mercury, Llanelly, Thursday, 12 January 1905, p. 5e)