A very rare and important four-branch arts and crafts chandelier attributed to Spital & Clark, Birmingham.  The lightly hammered frame hand-crafted from a single sheet of copper and decorated with further rivetted pieces of copper and green glass cabochons. Hung pendant in a unique design by the flex the light comes with 4 sypathetic reproduction vaseline glass lampshades in the matching “brocade” pattern of John Walsh Walsh, Birmingham. England c1905

Provenance:

• Provided upon request

Ht.(as displayed)110cm/43in, Ht.(main frame)43/17, W.43/17

Spital & Clark (1907-1914)

(Ernest Spital & Matthew Clark)

Formerly

Norman & Ernest Spittle(1897-1906)

• “Norman & Ernest Spittle” was founded by the aforementioned in 1887, specialising in arts & crafts metal-work design.
• The firm gained prestige early on, with their work featured in The Studio Magazine by 1900.
• After Norman’s untimely death in 1902 and a difficult legal battle involving their workshop space, Ernest continued the business alone for several years.
• In 1907 Matthew Clark joined him to form a new firm officially renamed “Spital & Clark” which operated out of Newhall Hill in Birmingham.
• Ernest strangely changed his name from Spittle to Spital at this same time possibly as part of the merger.
• By 1910 the firm had reached the peak of their fame, now specialising in arts & crafts lighting with offices in London, Cape Town & Wellington
• 1914: The firm merged with the renowned J.W. Singer & Sons of Frome, Somerset. Ernest Spital became a director of the combined company, and approximately 80 workers relocated from Birmingham to Somerset.
• Today Spital & Clark are considered one of Birmingham’s leading designers of early electric lighting alongside Best & Lloyd & William Whitehouse.