Small Archive / Manuscript Material, Letters, Designs, Books and Pamphlets as well as vintage photographs of Furniture like Chairs (Percy A. Wells Chair), Wardrobe, Advertising of Exhibitions [chaired for example by Christopher Hussey], etc. etc. This material all originates from Percy A. Wells' personal collection and sensationally also includes a manuscript notebook / sketchbook with his drawings, designs and a detailed, typescript with autobiographical memories in which Wells details his decades of being involved in Furniture Design. Loosely inserted in the manuscript notebook / sketchbook, is a signed manuscript letter on stationery of Kelmscott Manor by Mary 'May' Morris, daughter of the Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer William Morri

Wells, Percy A. (1867-1956) / [Letter by Morris, Mary 'May' (Designer)] / [Letter by Allom, Sir Charles Carrick (english decorator)] / [Letter by Garnett, Prof. William (Experimental Physics)] / [Letter by Henry, Jacob Solomon (Furniture Maker)] / Letter by Hems, Harry (English architectural and ecclesiastical sculptor)] / [Letter: Image, Selwyn (British Artist & Designer of the Arts & Crafts Movement)] / [Letter: Russell, Sir Sydney Gordon (English Designer & Craftsman) / [Letter: Quennell, Marjorie (Courtney) (British historian, illustrator and Museum Curator at The Geffrye Museum) //

Published by Dulwich / Shoreditch / London a.o., Percy A.Wells Private Library, c.1900-c.1920., 1920

About this Item

Octavo / Quarto / Folio. Hardcover Folder with loosely inserted material like letters and photographs, envelopes, signed and inscribed books and rare pamphlets with designs etc. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Fantstic Archive and lots of unpublished material of one of the more eminent Cabinet, Furniture and Chair - Designers which resulted from inspiration by William Morris' Kelmscott - School. Percy A. Wells Chairs are still in regular demand today and sell for stunning prices (3000 £ etc.). Please see here a detailed description of the Archive, which we display with permission of the composer of the Bibliography, Dr.Christian White from Christian White Rare Books and which we have embellished only by listing everything in more detail: Percy A. Wells [with] May Morris; Ambrose Heal etc. The Batsford-published author and arts and crafts designer Percy Wells s retained collection of drawings, a notebook, letters, photographs, and articles. Wells (1867-1956), a cabinet maker and disciple of William Morris, lectured, taught and wrote extensively during the later phase of the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain. His typescript autobiography is included in the archive which follows him through an apprenticeship in London s City Road with early practice as a cabinet maker before working alongside William Lethaby at the Central School and subsequently leading the cabinet department at the Shoreditch Technical Institution in London. His two most significant works, both published by Batsford, were "Modern Cabinet Work" (1909) which brought him to a wider audience and "Furniture for Small Houses" (1924) but as revealed by this archive, his work went much wider. Included in the archive is the following material: I. PHOTOGRAPHS A fantastic collection of gelatin photographs of furniture, many used as illustrations in Wells' books and labelled as such to verso. Contained within an envelope labelled in a later hand: 'Furniture designed by Percy Wells. (Including Shoreditch).' Small sheaf of personal photographs including images of Wells in old age gardening in Dulwich. Two photographs of a house exterior project in New Barnet, with Wells' handwritten explanations overleaf of 'treatment of Wall with trellis and boxes' and additional larger furniture photographs. 60 (sixty) silver gelatine photographs of Furniture designed by Percy A. Wells, many with his signature or monogram and titled verso 1 (one) silver gelatine print of a Livingroom setting with Furniture by Percy A. Wells (Photograph by Monger and Marchant) 1 (one) silver gelatine print of a Bedroom setting with Furniture by Percy A. Wells (Photograph by Monger and Marchant) 2 (two vintage Albumen print photographs showing a courtyard - design by Percy A. Wells: a. Concrete Yard with border of flowers and Trellis of Flowers and Shelter designed by Percy A. Wells (Annotated and signed verso) b. Yard - with Treatment of Wall with trellis and Boxes and Outdoor Shelter designed by Percy A. Wells (Annotated and signed verso) 4 (four) wonderful silver gelatine portrait photographs of Percy A. Wells 3 (three) negatives of vintage photographs showing cupboards and one chair designed by Percy A. Wells 1 (one) fantastic Group Photo of British Furniture Makers, signed by most of those depicted, showing C.C.Beetles and others II. PERCY WELLS' TYPESCRIPT AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Containing 22-page (A4) Typescript Autobiography titled 'Fifty Years in the Furniture Trade' by Percy Wells, 1934 (according to a handwritten note by Wells, it was published on three instalments inside the publication: "The Cabinet Maker" (in the year 1934). The short autobiography describes Wells' poor background, his apprenticeship in the City Road as a cabinet maker; mentored by Stephen Webb and W. R. Lethaby and then teaching-work at Central School and Shoreditch Technical Institute. The Typescript - Autobiography is included in a Folder (Numbered "9") which also includes: a. Typescript Autobiography b. Page fr.

Seller Inventory # 31896AB

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Small Archive / Manuscript Material, Letters, Designs, Books and Pamphlets as well as vintage photographs of Furniture like Chairs (Percy A. Wells Chair), Wardrobe, Advertising of Exhibitions [chaired for example by Christopher Hussey], etc. etc. This material all originates from Percy A. Wells' personal collection and sensationally also includes a manuscript notebook / sketchbook with his drawings, designs and a detailed, typescript with autobiographical memories in which Wells details his ...
• Publisher: Dulwich / Shoreditch / London a.o., Percy A.Wells Private Library, c.1900-c.1920.
• Publication Date: 1920
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Seller catalogs:
  • Varia