Leicester Decorative and Fine Arts Society
A member of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies
Breaking and latest news
This page has the latest news -
Click on the links below to go those sections quickly, or scroll down the page to see everything.....
Leicester NADFAS history, request for photos…..
4 Study Days on Glass Manufacture Through the Ages starting October 14
National Trust bid to save Stoneywell, the Gimson House in Leicestershire
Membership form & Gift Aid form for 2012/13 Membership fee reduced for the rest of the year.
Trip to Hampton Court Place and Gardens. 25 June 2013
Gallery Exhibitions throughout the county in 2013
Art House Leicester 8 & 9 June
Leicester NADFAS History In October we are celebrating 30 years of Leicester NADFAS and I want to get together a presentation of photographs from previous lectures, trips, events relating to the LDFAS.
Do you have any interesting material from the past you would be willing to lend me for this presentation?
Or do you know someone who was a member and might have some photographs or other memorabilia who you could ask?
Obviously digital images would be appreciated but I can scan images if you would lend them to me, they could then be returned immediately. You can contact me on janet2280@googlemail.com or 0116 279 2280.
This presentation will be shown at the Tea Party to celebrate 30 years in October and I will put it on the web site too.
Pompeii Live is the very first cinema event to be produced by a museum for a major exhibition and will offer an exclusive private view of the British Museum’s major exhibition Life and death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The exhibition focuses on the homes and lives of the inhabitants of the thriving industrial hub of Pompeii and the small seaside town of Herculaneum nearly 2,000 years ago when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Introduced by British Museum Director Neil MacGregor, this fascinating show will guide the cinema audience around the exhibition in the company of renowned experts, accompanied by music, poetry and eyewitness accounts, as well as specially made films of Pompeii and Herculaneum today.
This will be a 80 minute live production shown at cinemas around the world. It will
be on June 18th 2013. Go to your local ODEON cinema web site and click on 'Odeon
Culture -
Several NADFAS groups in the East Midlands are creating Church Trails, aimed at children, to encourage them to explore the art and architecture of Churches. Trails that are completed can be downloaded (questions and answers) by clicking here
Take the grandchildren out to explore! New Trails being added as they are finished.
National Trust has acquired Stoneywell -
Quote from the National Trust web site:-
We have been offered Stoneywell, an Arts & Crafts cottage designed in 1899 by Ernest
Gimson, one of the most inspiring and influential architect-
Gimson’s drawing of Stoneywell
July 1898
Why save Stoneywell?
Set in the Charnwood Forest, Stoneywell is the only remaining cottage of its kind in Leicestershire. It’s one of only a handful of notable Arts and Crafts houses in England. It will also be only the second place we have in the county.
As well as the cottage, gardens, outbuildings and woodland, Stoneywell retains many of its original contents. There is also a significant archive which has a wealth of historical material.
Plans are being made to open the house shortly -
The history of Stoneywell
Stoneywell, a Grade II* listed property, was designed in 1898 by the locally-
Gimson designed the cottage for his elder brother Sydney and wife Jeanie, and Stoneywell has remained within the family ever since.
The Gimson family
Ernest Gimson’s father, Josiah and his brother Benjamin, were also significant figures in Leicester during the 19th century when they set up the Gimson and Company factory in the city, making heavy machinery.
It was one of the largest employers in the city and prided itself on being a model employer in terms of wages and conditions of work. The firm cast the great beam engines which can still be seen at the Abbey Pumping Station and cast two bridges over the Grand Union Canal in Leicester.
Some more information on Stoneywell & Gimson
Below is an article written for us by a member, Douglas Smith, who used to live in a Gimson house in Leicester.
Ernest Gimson 1864-
He was born in Leicester, the son of Josiah Gimson of the successful engineering firm.
Early influences were Letherby, Ruskin and William Morris from lecturers at the Secular Society.
Gimson was articled to Isaac Barradale the local architect before he moved to London and was articled to J D Sedding in 1885. In 1887 he travelled to France and Italy but returned to England and worked on modest projects.
White House. North Avenue. Leicester; 1897 Ernest Gimson designed for his brother Arthur is the best example of the two town houses.
It has an ‘L shaped Plan with the end gable ploughing into the Avenue like the bow of a ship.
Stoneywell 1898 was built for Sidney A. Gimson Ernest Gimson. It is in my opinion the outstanding design of the cottages built in the Charnwood Forest.
The great chimney is like a buttress and develops from the rocky outcrop as it grows out of the forest rock. The plan twists to follow the contours of the site. This is the fascination of the building with changing levels and interesting movement of space. Originally the cottage has a thatched roof which enabled the designer to use the fluid lines evolved from the plan.
Gimson had too much respect for the past to to attempt to reproduce it. He believed each generation could and should make a contribution to a splendid tradition
A plan of the ground floor of Stoneywell. The plan relates to the photograph and sorry the words are upside down.
Why not write an article for the e-
Gallery Exhibitions throughout Britain in 2013. An excellent resource of major exhibitions coming up. Very useful if you are travelling around the country. Click here to view.
LeicesterDFAS Young Arts film about their work
New Comments/Letters page -
Or click here to read our ‘Letters’ page.
There are now several films about NADFAS in YouTube Click here to views these short and informative films about different aspects of the organisation.
LeicesterDFAS podcast on our Young Arts group!
To see film please click on the film icon here............................
(it may take a few minutes to download if you have a slow connection
Web site designed and maintained by Janet Groome, Handshake Computer Training