Latest Update - October 2003 |
SHOWMAN ROBERT
EDWARDS ARK CONVERSION PHOTOGRAPHED DURING A MAJOR REBUILD IN THE ORTON &
SPOONER ERECTING SHEDS IN 1946. THE NOAH'S ARK WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN
1932/33, THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LAST MAJOR EXAMPLES OF THE HOWELL'S ARTISTRY
FOR THIS FIRM. THE 'BEN HUR' SCENE WAS DESIGNED BY SID HOWELL, WHO CAN BE SEEN
TOP LEFT WORKING ALONGSIDE HIS FATHER.
ALBERT, BOTTOM RIGHT, IS BUSY ADDING AN AMENDMENT TO THE SCENE OF A CHARIOT COMING TO GRIEF - THIS WAS AT THE SUGGESTION OF ONE OF THE EDWARDS BROTHERS, FOLLOWING A ROUTINE VISIT TO THE CRESCENT WORKS.
Meet the A.S.Howell's, a father and son professional decorative art design team - although well known for their fairground artistry, both men were also highly skilled 'fine line' artists.
PLEASE CLICK ON UNDERLINED ' RED ' LINKS OR PICTURES TO ENLARGE IMAGE.
Links - A.S.HOWELL II (Albert) : 1877- 1959 ....... A.S.HOWELL III (Sid) : 1906 - 1966
Messrs.. ORTON & SPOONER - A brief history.
Meet some of the Orton's skilled craftsmen - click on Cec' Howell below!
The A.S.Howell's and their artistry are featured in a book which is nearing completion. Due to be published in 2001, it examines their world of art, starting in the late 19th century through to the middle of the 20th century. Now in the 21st century, this book is the definitive record of all their work and is illustrated with over 400 colour and black and white photographs. These include most types of Fairground Devices constructed between 1911 and 1950 by the world renown manufacturer Messrs. Geo. Orton Sons & Spooner Ltd., The book contains many ' never published before ' photographs taken from the A.S.Howell collection, it also features numerous examples of their 'fine line artistry'. Learn how to paint an Ark from the first hand memories of some of the old Orton's team.
Cec' Howell Albert's youngest son, a painter and now in his 85th year, Harry Shilton also a painter, now in his 91st. year, he goes into great detail describing many of the techniques used in the 'old days', including gilding Scenic Dragons etc., and Harry Cooke, a joiner, also in his mid-eighties, and like the Howell's, his family had a long relationship with Messrs. George Orton & Charles Spooner.
NOW IN PRINT -
THE DEFINITIVE BOOK 'MEN AT
WORK - THE FAIRGROUND ARTISTS AND ARTISANS OF ORTON & SPOONER'
(see below)
(ALL PAGES ON THIS SITE ARE ADAPTED FROM THIS BOOK).
Other Websites ofinterest :-
The National Fairground Archive -University of Sheffield.
Burton upon Trent - The home town of Messrs. Orton & Spooner and The A.S.Howell's.
Last update - 21st October 2003
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