William Bloye
William James Bloye | |
---|---|
Born |
1890 Cornwall |
Died |
6 June 1975 Arezzo, Italy |
Known for | Sculpture |
Awards |
William James Bloye, PPRBSA (1890 – 6 June 1975 Arezzo) was an English sculptor, active in Birmingham either side of World War II.
Life
He studied, and later, taught at the Birmingham School of Art (his training was interrupted by World War I, when he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1915 to 1917;[1] he was eventually succeeded at Birmingham by John Bridgeman), where his pupils included Gordon Herickx, Roy Kitchin, Raymond Mason, John Poole and Ian Walters. He also studied stone-carving and letter cutting under Eric Gill around 1921.
![](../I/m/William_Bloye_blue_plaque.jpg)
In 1925 he became a member of the Birmingham Civic Society, having, at about that time, a studio at 111, Golden Hillock Road, Small Heath, Birmingham. As Birmingham's unofficial civic sculptor he worked on virtually all public commissions including libraries, hospitals and the University. He often carved bas-relief plaques, typically for public houses in Birmingham, and decorated a number of buildings by the architect Holland W. Hobbiss.
During the 1920s, he served on the Technical Committee of the Birmingham Civic Society.[2]
He became a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors: associate (with the honorific suffix ARBS) in 1934, and fellow (FRBS) in 1938. He also won the latter's Otto Beit Medal. Retiring from the School of Art in 1956 he moved to Solihull. He died in Arezzo, Italy in 1975.
In December 2010, a blue plaque was unveiled at City College, on the site of his former studio.[1]
As of January 2010, Birmingham City Council are working on the restoration Bloye's statue of Pan at Aston Hall. The statue's head is missing, and they have appealed for old photographs, to assist in its reconstruction.[3]
RBSA
![William J Bloye, 111 Golden Hillock Rd, Small Heath, sculptor](../I/m/William_Bloye_autograph.jpg)
Bloye was closely associated with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA). Although the two 1919 bronze plaques at the RBSA entrance are the earliest known work by Bloye in Birmingham, he only became a member in 1930.[4] After a period as vice-president, he became president in 1948[5] and served in that role until 1950. He was also the RBSA's Professor of Sculpture[5] from at least the mid-1940s until at least 1961[6] (after which time the post is no longer mentioned in the annual catalogues).[7]
The Society's permanent collection includes one of his works, a life-size plaster bust, Head of Man.[8] It is undated and not usually on display. The subject's name is not recorded.
Works
Image | Title / subject | Location and coordinates |
Date | Type | Material | Dimensions | Designation | Owner / administrator | Notes |
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Allegories of Art and Industry | Over the north-west door of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (The Feeney Gallery extension), Great Charles Street 52°28′52″N 1°54′18″W / 52.4811°N 1.9050°W |
c. 1919 | Stone | Birmingham City Council | [9] | |||
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Aesculapius | Chest Clinic, Great Charles Street 52°28′54″N 1°54′17″W / 52.4817°N 1.9047°W |
1930 | Relief carving | Stone | [9] | |||
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Boulton, Watt and Murdoch | Broad Street 52°28′43″N 1°54′30″W / 52.478587°N 1.908395°W |
1956 | statues | Gilded Bronze | Birmingham City Council | Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdoch | ||
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Queen Victoria | Victoria Square 52°28′47″N 1°54′11″W / 52.479628°N 1.902998°W |
1951 | statue | Bronze | Birmingham City Council | Recast from a marble statue by Thomas Brock[9] | ||
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Royal Oak | Lozells 52°30′10″N 1°54′02″W / 52.502687°N 1.900501°W |
c. 1936 | Stone | Decoration around the doorway of a former pub (now a shop). Formerly brightly painted.[9] | ||||
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The Boar's Head | The Boar's Head, Perry Barr 52°31′45″N 1°53′44″W / 52.529153°N 1.895465°W |
c. 1938 | Wood | Painted pub sign comprising a model boar's head, on a pole.[9] Taken from the arms of the Gough-Calthorpe family of nearby Perry Hall | ||||
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Running stag | Perry Barr Stadium 52°31′09″N 1°53′52″W / 52.519192°N 1.897717°W |
1929 | Bas-relief | Stone | Logo of Birchfield Harriers.[9] Attributed.[9] | |||
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The Towers | Tower Hill, Great Barr 52°32′08″N 1°55′14″W / 52.535574°N 1.92062°W |
1936 | Stone | Bloye was responsible for all the stone carving on this brick building[9] | ||||
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Bronze Plaques | Royal Birmingham Society of Artists 52°29′06″N 1°54′27″W / 52.484891°N 1.907520°W |
1919 | Bronze | Formerly at the Society's old headquarters on New Street[9] | ||||
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Call, Front Line and Return | Hall of Memory, Broad Street 52°28′46″N 1°54′25″W / 52.4795°N 1.9070°W |
1925 | Interior bas-relief carvings | [9] | ||||
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'Wisdom, Fortitude, Charity, Faith' | Legal and General Assurance Building, 7 Waterloo Street 52°28′49″N 1°54′00″W / 52.480405°N 1.900024°W |
1932 | Four bas relief panels | Exterior high level bas-relief carvings.[9] | ||||
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Capitals and pediment sculptures | New Oxford House, 16 Waterloo Street 52°28′48″N 1°54′05″W / 52.479942°N 1.901489°W |
1935 | Exterior: two capitals, shield above door and upstairs pediment and putto.[9] | |||||
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Coat of arms and two lion reliefs | Council House, Priory Road, Dudley 52°30′44″N 2°05′03″W / 52.5122°N 2.0841°W |
1928 | Façade on Council House (Town Hall)[10] | |||||
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Fox and Hollybush | Acocks Green 52°26′39″N 1°50′03″W / 52.44408°N 1.83418°W |
1927 | -8Bas-relief | From former Fox Hollies pub.[9] Now on Lidl supermarket. | ||||
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War Memorial: George and the Dragon and lions on flagpoles | Town Hall, Priory Street, Dudley 52°30′41″N 2°05′04″W / 52.5115°N 2.0844°W |
1928 | Also four bronze lions (1936) on flagpoles, Town Hall tower[10] | |||||
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Dudley's Past | Town Hall, corner of Priory Road and Priory Street, Dudley 52°30′43″N 2°05′02″W / 52.5120°N 2.0839°W |
1935 | [10] | |||||
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The Antelope | Sparkhill 52°27′12″N 1°51′57″W / 52.453362°N 1.865753°W |
c. 1929 | Bas-relief pub sign | Designed by Bloye, sculpted by his assistant, Tom Wright[9] | ||||
Allegory of Painting | Art Gallery, Avenue Road, Leamington Spa | 1929 | Sandstone | Life-size female nude[11] | |||||
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Pan | Aston Hall, Birmingham 52°30′24″N 1°53′09″W / 52.50658°N 1.88577°W |
1934 | [3][9] | |||||
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Two stone vases | Aston Hall, Birmingham 52°30′24″N 1°53′07″W / 52.50666°N 1.88519°W 52°30′23″N 1°53′07″W / 52.50642°N 1.88524°W |
1934 | Vases | Stone | Birmingham City Council | [9] | ||
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Capitals and Heads | Council House, Priory Road, Dudley 52°30′44″N 2°05′03″W / 52.5122°N 2.0841°W |
1935 | [10] | |||||
Dudley from the Wren's Nest | Council House, Priory Road, Dudley 52°30′44″N 2°05′04″W / 52.5121°N 2.0844°W |
1935 | Two reliefs | Plaster | Within building - at entrance to council chamber and entrance to committee reception room.<0ref name="NoszlopySBC" /> | ||||
St. Nicholas Rescuing the Three Children | John Shelton School, Coventry (former) | 1936 | Lost after the school was demolished in 1999[11] | ||||||
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Bear and Staff | The Bear Inn, Stratford Road, Sparkhill 52°26′54″N 1°51′40″W / 52.448235°N 1.861201°W |
c. 1937 | Bas-relief | Pub sign, depicting feature of the arms of Warwickshire, in which the area was located at the time of installation.[9] | ||||
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Lamp of Knowledge | Perry Common Library 52°32′08″N 1°52′32″W / 52.535590°N 1.875583°W |
c. 1934 | Bas-relief | stone | [9] | |||
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Spirit of Knowledge | Yardley Wood Library 52°25′07″N 1°51′35″W / 52.41856°N 1.85970°W |
c. 1936 | Bas-relief | stone | [9] |
Work | Location (Birmingham unless stated) |
Date | Picture | Coordinates (With links to map and aerial photo sources) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brookvale Pub, sign with putto and grapes | Erdington | c. 1934 | ![]() |
52°30′50″N 1°51′27″W / 52.51399°N 1.85737°W | Painted stone pub sign.[9] |
Huntsman and Dog, pub sign | The Green Man Pub, High Street, Harborne | c. 1940 | ![]() |
52°27′41″N 1°56′35″W / 52.46138°N 1.94301°W | Painted wooden pub sign.[9] |
Library Emblem | Yardley Library, Yardley | 1938 | ![]() |
52°27′40″N 1°48′58″W / 52.461°N 1.816°W | |
Apollo fountain | Coronation Gardens, Ednam Road, Dudley | 1939 | ![]() |
52°30′46″N 2°05′00″W / 52.51277°N 2.08337°W | Sculpture on top of fountain[10] The model was international gymnast and basketball player Fred Starkey.[12] The plaster models are in the collection of Birmingham Museums Trust.[13] |
Josiah Mason | Now at the junction of Chester Road & Orphanage Road in Erdington | 1952 | ![]() |
52°31′54″N 1°49′30″W / 52.531556°N 1.825128°W | Bronze bust, recast from a marble statue (subsequently destroyed) by Francis John Williamson of 1885, which stood opposite Mason Science College in Edmund Street[9] |
Engineering, bas-relief | Mechanical Engineering Building at the University of Birmingham | 1954 | ![]() |
52°26′57″N 1°56′06″W / 52.44928°N 1.93509°W | [9] |
Aesculapius | Medical School, University of Birmingham | c. 1938 | ![]() |
52°27′07″N 1°56′17″W / 52.45190°N 1.93813°W | [9] |
John Skirrow Wright | Birmingham Council House | 1956 | ![]() |
52°28′48″N 1°54′10″W / 52.480082°N 1.902760°W | Bronze bust cast from a marble statue (subsequently destroyed) by Francis John Williamson[9] |
St. Alphege | St. Alphege CofE Infants School, New Road, Solihull | 1959 | ![]() |
52°24′41″N 1°46′28″W / 52.41148°N 1.77450°W | Restored in 1994[11] |
Mermaid fountain | University of Birmingham Guild of Students | 1960 | ![]() |
52°26′57″N 1°55′38″W / 52.44927°N 1.927225°W | Bronze[9] |
Mermaid | University of Birmingham Guild of Students | 1960 | ![]() |
52°26′58″N 1°55′39″W / 52.44951°N 1.92741°W | Clipsham stone sculpture, on wall[9] |
Decoration | The Mermaid (public house), Sparkhill | c. 1960 | ![]() |
52°27′25″N 1°52′08″W / 52.456861°N 1.868761°W | (Bas-relief pub sign attributed to Alan Bridgewater[9]) |
Bust of Wilfred Byng Kenrick | Byng Kenrick Grammar School For Girls | 1962 (unveiled 1963) | Bronze. Lost, believed stolen.[9]) | ||
Coat of Arms | Dental Hospital | c. 1973 | ![]() |
52°29′09″N 1°53′42″W / 52.485875°N 1.895101°W | Fibreglass. Now removed.[9] |
Head of Man | Royal Birmingham Society of Artists | undated | ![]() |
Plaster[8] | |
Sermon to the Birds | St Francis of Assisi's Church, Bournville | 1933 | ![]() |
52°25′44″N 1°56′08″W / 52.42902°N 1.93558°W | Oak Wood. Part of Grade II listed building.[9] |
Ten panels in ceiling | Moseley School (old assembly hall) | undated | ![]() |
52°26′26″N 1°51′52″W / 52.44066°N 1.86433°W | Plaster[14] (Full image set at ![]() |
Sun and lettering | Sun Insurance Building, Bennetts Hill | 1927 | |
52°28′48″N 1°54′01″W / 52.47991°N 1.90025°W | Stone bas-relief[9]
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Heraldic sculptures (also Bronze statue of girl in fountain in courtyard) | Fountain Court, Steelhouse Lane | 1964 | 52°29′01″N 1°53′42″W / 52.48370°N 1.89494°W | Stone bas-relief. Statue of girl in private courtyard.[9] ![]() | |
Mother and Child, Young Child Playing | 90 Lancaster Street, Birmingham | c1935 | ![]() |
52°29′14″N 1°53′37″W / 52.48731°N 1.89370°W | Stone bas-relief[9] |
Maternity | Carnegie Welfare Institute, Hunter's Road, Hockley | c1923-6 | ![]() |
52°29′50″N 1°54′55″W / 52.49712°N 1.91522°W | Painted mahogany[9] |
The Good Shepherd and Latin Cross | Christ Church, Burney Lane, Ward End | c1935 | ![]() ![]() |
52°29′23″N 1°49′17″W / 52.48984°N 1.82130°W | Stone bas-relief[9] |
Christ | All Saints church, Coneyford Road, Shard End | 1951-5 | ![]() |
52°29′40″N 1°46′34″W / 52.49454°N 1.77601°W | Stone[9] |
Lion Pediment and Seated Craftsmen | Supreme Works, 186 Soho Hill, Handsworth | c1922 | ![]() ![]() |
52°30′01″N 1°55′16″W / 52.50018°N 1.92123°W | Stone bas-relief.[9] ![]() |
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Bloye. |
- 1 2 "Life of Birmingham sculptor William Bloye commemorated". City College. December 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ↑ "Ornamental Fountain". National Recording Project. Public Monument and Sculpture Association. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- 1 2 "The mystery of the headless statue". Birmingham Newsroom. Birmingham City Council. 2011-01-17. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ↑ Anon (1930). "The Spring Exhibition, 1930 (catalogue)". RBSA.
- 1 2 Anon (1948). "Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition 1948 (catalogue)". RBSA.
- ↑ Anon (1961). "The Second Spring Exhibition, 1961 (catalogue)". RBSA.
- ↑ RBSA catalogues, 1962 onwards
- 1 2 RBSA archives, catalogue number B43
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 Noszlopy, George T. (1998). Public Sculpture of Birmingham including Sutton Coldfield. Public Sculpture of Britain. 2. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-682-8.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Noszlopy, George T. (2005). Public Sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country. Public Sculpture of Britain. 9. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-0-85323-999-4.
- 1 2 3 Noszlopy, George T. (2003). Public Sculpture of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. Public Sculpture of Britain. 6. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-847-2.
- ↑ Anon (2001-04-02). "Former city man tribute". Birmingham Evening Mail. - via HighBeam Research, subscription needed
- ↑ Accession numbers: 1991P111; 1991P112
- ↑ The Moseleians Association - Moseley School and the work of William Bloye (1890-1975)