Arthur Romney Green on eBay

I have noticed that there are two Arthur Romney Green limited edition books currently for sale on eBay, for quite sizeable prices:

Woodwork, by A. R. Green, 1918

• Woodwork by A. Romney Green - volume 1, 1918. 1 of only 240 copies here.  I have seen this book at Art Library at the Victoria & Albert Museum.  The write up says that 21 of the 31 woodcut illustrations in the book are by Eric Gill although he is not referenced as such.  Gill and Green were good friends.  It also highlights something I was not aware of before which is that there was never a volume 2, "under the stress of war it has become necessary, both on my publisher's account and on my own, to issue this little book in two volumes.  But we hope to publish the second as soon as our affairs resume their normal course."

A Strange Visit by A.R. Green, 1930

• Strange Visit by A. Romney Green, 1930 - for sale for £575 here.   I wrote about this in my previous post here, only 20 copies were printed.

Peasant Buildings and Bramshott Camp Hutments

Thanks to a tip from a local, I've discovered that a number of buildings associated with the Peasant Arts movement were likely to have originated from the WW1 Bramshott Camp.  Bramshott was a hutted camp on Bramshott Common, and was one of the main bases for Canadian troops during WW1, there are a few more details on Wikipedia.

Peasant Shop, Weydown Road, c.1919
reproduced courtesy of Haslemere Educational Museum
likely to have originated from Bramshott Camp

The buildings that appear to be have originally been hutments at the Bramshott Camp are:

• the Peasant Shop (photographs held by the museum) which still exists which was in the grounds of Wildwood / St Cross on Keydown Road
• Little St Cross which was in the garden of St Cross
• some houses which still exist on Bell Road which were built on land owned by Joseph King, presumedly part of the land owned when he lived at nearby Hill Farm

In Liphook, Bramshott, and the Canadians (Bramshott and Liphook Preservation Society, L.C. Giles, September 1986) a few more details are given: "Bramshott Common was completely cleared of buildings after World War I.  Huts, wagons, barbed wire, timber and other stores were briskly auctioned by Capt. Davey.  Some of the officers' 'pre-fab' quarters live on as Nos. 35-43 Haslemere Road (north side).  One hut ended up as the cricket pavilion at Highfield School, another was re-erected at Downlands, a third became the schoolroom at Stanford Hill Chapel; three more were in use as bungalows at Stanford Hill until about 1976."  Whilst this book does not identify the other buildings in Haslemere, it does seem to support the use of buildings locally for various purposes.

Highfield School cricket pavilion,
reported to originate from the Bramshott Camp

From reviewing the press in 1920 it seems that there were a number of auctions advertised selling hutments from Bramshott Camp.  I had thought that these auctions were for different parts of the Bramshott Camp, but closer inspection suggests that some of the buildings were difficult to dispose of!

The headlines from the Sussex Agricultural Express read:

1. 19th - 20th July - valuable camp buildings comprising "Bramshott Camp"
2. 17th August - most important sale of valuable corrugated iron and wood, hutments, and camp buildings at South Camp
3. 20th September - most important sale of valuable corrugated iron and wood, hutments, and camp buildings at South Camp
4. 18th October - highly important auction sale of 200 corrugated iron and wood hutments and camp buildings at South Camp

Bramshott Camp sale
from Sussex Agricultural Express, 2 July 1920

Tin Town, Witley / Bramshott Camp postcard
October 1918

The first auction in July, which does not mention that it is the first of a series of auctions, stated it included:

• "Officers' Quarters, well appointed, with pleasing exteriors, built of timber and felt roofing
• Excellent barrack stores - weather boarded and felt roofing.  Average sizes - 80ft. x 20ft., 60ft. x 20ft., 20ft., x 15ft., etc.
• Spacious regimental institutes - weather boarded and felt roofing
• Dining rooms - average size 120ft. x 30ft.
• Ablution shelters and latrines - average size 50ft. x 20ft. with part brick and part corrugated iron sides
• Cookhouses and washups - average size 40ft. x 20ft. with corrugated iron sides and roofs
• Guard rooms and detention cells - weather boarded and felt roofing.  Average size 40ft. x 20ft.
• Excellent office huts, with verandah - average size 50ft. x 20ft forming ideal Bungalows.  Weather boarded and felt roofing
• Timber and corrugated iron store sheds of various dimensions
• Brick built bath houses with corrugated iron roofs and fitted with excellent shower apparatus, etc.
• Valuable steel frame horse shelters - with corrugated iron roofs ans sides, with all fitting
• Corrugated iron destructor sheds, fitted with Horsefall Destructors
• Barrack huts 60ft. x 20ft...
• Special note, the Auctioneers would like to point out the excellent well constructed officers quarters forming part ideal bungalow residences of pleasing appearance, also that many of the hutments are partitioned into a number of rooms suitable for easy conversion into Dwelling Houses."

Bramshott Camp sale
from Sussex Agricultural Express, 20 August 1920

Then in September the following was advertised for auction, which suggests that the officers quarters, barrack stores, regimental institutes, dining rooms, office huts and guard room and detention cells did not sell in July.

• "The excellent officers' quarters, well constructed, weather boarded with wood floor and framing, board and felt roof, and divided into 10 rooms (average size 72ft. x 21ft.)
• Well-appointed officers messes, weather boarded with wood floor and framing, divided into 2 large rooms, lobby and annexe (average size 72ft. x 21ft.)
• Excellent office huts, with verandahs, weather boarded with felt roofing divided into 3 rooms, forming ideal bungalows (average size 40ft. by 29ft.)
• Well-fitted barrack stores, weather boarded and felt roofing, containing 3 rooms (average size 97ft. by 21ft.)
• Spacious regimental institutes, weather boarded, with wood floor and framing, board and felt roof, and divided into 12 large rooms (average size 130ft. by 49ft.)
• The very fine dining room and canteens, weather boarded, with wood floor and framing, board and felt rood, and divided into 2 large rooms (average size 130ft. by 49ft.)
• Brigade office huts, weather boarded, wood floor and timber framing, board and felt rood, and divided into 2 rooms (average size 40ft. by 29ft.)
• Guard room and detention cells, with verandahs, weather boarded and felt roofing, divided into 5 rooms and 10 cells (average size 135ft. by 29ft.)
• Sectional miniature rifle ranges, weather boarded, with wood floor and framing, and corrugated iron roof (average size 200ft. by 49ft.)
• Well-fitted quarter master’s stores, weather boarded, with wood framing and floor, board and felt roof, and containing 7 rooms (average size 88ft. by 21ft.)
• Well-built barrack huts, weather boarded, board and felt roof, wood floor (average size 66ft. by 20ft.)
• Valuable hospital buildings, weather boarded on wood framing and floor, board and felt roof, containing large ward room and 4 other rooms, and fittings (average size 77ft. by 21ft.)
• Well-appointed sergeants’ messes, weather boarded, board and felt roof, wood floors, and divided into 3 large rooms (average size 77ft. by 21ft.)
• Sergeants’ cookhouses, weather boarded, with wood floor and framing, board nd felt roof and divided into 3 large rooms (average size 77ft. by 21ft.)
• Sergeants’ cookhouses, weather boarded, with wood floor and framing, board and felt roof, and divided into 3 rooms (average size 31ft. by 21ft.)
• Excellent officers’ kitchen blocks, weather boarded in wood framing, and divided into 8 roos (average size 72ft. by 21ft.)
• Spacious men’s cookhouses and wash-ups, weather boarded, with corrugated iron roof and concrete floors, divided into 6 rooms (average size 112ft. by 29ft.)…
• Note – The above buildings are particularly well constructed and lined with asbestos sheeting or match board, and are highly suitable for public halls, bungalow residences or dwelling houses, mission rooms, workshops, garages, farm and poultry buildings, and many other useful purposes.
• There are firms in close proximity to the Camp, who are making a specialty to cater for the removal and transport of huts and buildings on most reasonable terms."

The next advert in Sussex Agricultural Express, 10 September 1920, repeats the August advert with only a slight reordering of the items.

Bramshott Camp sale
from Sussex Agricultural Express, 10 September 1920

The final October adverts seem to be selling pretty much the same buildings as were advertised in previous sales, including some items that were listed in the initial auction in July.  This time there is a focus on the numbers of the buildings in addition to their measurements.

Bramshott Camp Sale
from Sussex Agricultural Express, 15 October 1920

“Highly important auction sale of 200 corrugated iron and wood hutments and camp buildings at South Camp, Bramshott, Hants., on Monday, October 18^th, at Eleven o’clock precisely.  To be held at the Camp, within easy reach of Haslemere and Liphook Stations, on the L. and S.W. Railway, main line from Waterloo to Portsmouth; motor buses run to the Camp from both Stations.  Comprising:-

• 62 excellent barrack huts with matchboard linings (average size, 60ft. x 20ft.), each containing one large room.
• 2 spacious regimental institutes average size, 107ft. x 60ft., each containing 12 good rooms
• 4 very fine dining rooms and canteens (average size, 125ft. x 49ft.), each containing two large rooms
• 4 well-fitted quartermaster’s stores buildings (average size 77ft. x 20ft.) each containing seven rooms
• 6 excellent office huts, with verandahs (average size, 30ft. x 20ft.), each containing lobby and three rooms
• A guard room and detention cells, with verandah (size 110ft. x 25ft.) containing 16 rooms
• 4 well-appointed sergeant’s messes (average size, 77ft. x 21ft.), each containing three rooms
• 10 spacious cook-houses and wash up buildings (average size, 110ft. x 25ft. and 30ft x 20ft. respectively)
• A very fine telephone office building, with two verandahs,. Measuring 70ft. x 20ft. and containing five rooms
• 4 brick-built bath-houses, with corrugated iron roofs (average size, 30ft. x 12ft.)
• 4 corrugated iron ablution shelters (average size 42ft. x 24ft.)
• 4 corrugated iron latrines (average size 50ft. x 24ft.)
• 2 corrugated iron “horsfall” destuctor sheds (average size, 26ft. x 12ft.)
• A brick-built “thresh” disinfector building (average size, 45ft. x 12ft.) containing four rooms
• A spacious sectional miniature rifle range (measuring 200ft. x 49ft.) containing four compartments
• 2 valuable and well-appointed hospital buildings (average size 80ft. x 20ft.)
• 2 sergeants’s living huts (average size, 68ft. x 20ft.), each containing 16 rooms
• several corrugated iron coal enclosures
• 61 well-constructed living huts (average size 68ft. x 20ft.), each containing one large room
• And
• Several other useful hutments of various dimensions.
• The camp equipment comprises:-
• 72in. Double Oven Kitchen Ranges and Glazed Earthenware Sinks, etc..."

I wonder if the final October 1920 auction was successful in getting rid of the 200 buildings?  Did Joseph King / Godfrey Blount purchase the buildings at these auctions or did they make a deal when the last advertized auction was unsuccessful?

Toys, Fairyland and the Peasant Imagination, Part 2 - The Light Princess

After having written part 1 of this almost 4 years ago, I think it is time I revisited fairyland.  

To understand the fairy tale connection with the Haslemere Peasant Arts movement, it is important to start with George MacDonald.  He was the father of Greville MacDonald and in the words of Wikipedia: "a pioneering figure in the field of fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer C.S. Lewis.  His writings have been cited as a major literary influence by many notable authors including W.H. Auden, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, Walter de la Mare, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle."  I will focus on the subject of fairy tales alone.  George MacDonald lived in Haslemere in the last years of his life, between 1900-1905, in St George's Wood on the Grayswood Road.  This house was built for MacDonald by his son, the architect Robert Falconer MacDonald.

MacDonald, George, The Light Princess and other Fairy Tales,
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1893

Having recently read MacDonald's The Complete Fairy Tales I think it is worth looking at some of the story lines in these short fairytales.  Some of the tales in this book are from MacDonald's books: Adela Cathcart, Dealings with the Fairies and At the Back of the North Wind.  The Light Princess is from Adela Cathcart (1864).

The Light Princess
This is one of MacDonald's most famous fairy tales.  In 2013 a new musical, The Light Princess by Tori Amos and Samuel Adamson debuted at the National Theatre.  The official trailer for the musical is on YouTube here.

from The Light Princess, and Other fairy tales
ibid.

The story begins mirroring the tale of Sleeping Beauty: a longed for baby princess is cursed at her christening by her forgotten aunt, Princess Makemnoit ("make 'em know it"), who is also a witch.  She  "deprives the child of all her gravity.  If you ask me how this was effected, I answer, "In the easiest way in the world.  She had only to destroy gravitation."  For the princess was a philosopher, and knew all the ins and outs of the laws of gravitation as well as the ins and outs of her boot-lace.  And being a witch as well, she could abrogate those laws in a moment; or at least so clog their wheels and rust their bearings, that they would not work at all."

The Light Princess,
illustration by Dorothy P. Lathrop

The Light Princess,
illustrated by William Pene du Bois, 1962

The baby Princess floats up to the ceiling and thus begins her life of weightlessness.  Below stairs, she plays ball with the servants by being the ball herself.  As she grows up she is so light-hearted that she can take nothing seriously.  "Perhaps the best thing for the princess would have been to fall in love.  But how a princess who had no gravity could fall into anything is a difficulty".  The palace is on the shore of the "loveliest lake in the world" and she discovers that when in the lake she can escape her gravitational curse.  She increasingly spends all of her time in the lake "in it alone she enjoyed her freedom.  For she could not walk out without a cortege, consisting in part of a troop of light-horse, for fear of the liberties which the wind might take with her.  And the king grew more apprehensive with increasing years, till at last he would not allow her to walk abroad at all without some twenty silken cords fastened to as many parts of her dress, and held by twenty noblemen.  Of course horseback was out of the question.  But she bade good-by to all this ceremony when she got into the water."

promotional photograph from The Light Princess,
the musical by Tori Amos and Samuel Adamson,
National Theatre 2013

Hearing of the pleasure the lake gave the Light Princess, Princess Makemnoit unleases a White Snake of Darkness to drain the lake dry.  The only way to staunch the flow of the water is the body of a living man.  A passing prince who has fallen in love with the Princess, and has swum with her at night in the lake,  gallantly offers himself up to do so.  As he plugs the hole and slowly sinks under the water he is subject to the relative indifference of the Light Princess, until it appears that he has breathed his last breath at which point the Princess frantically pulls him out: "By this time her people were on the shore, for they had heard her shriek.  She made them carry the prince to her own room, and lay him in her bed, and light a fire, and send for the doctors.  "But the lake, your highness!" said the chamberlain, who, roused by the noise, came in, in his nightcap.  "Go and drown yourself in it!" she said."

from The Light Princess, and Other fairy tales
ibid.

When the prince finally opens his eyes "the princess burst into a passion of tears, and fell on the floor.  There she lay for an hour, and her tears never ceased.  All the pent-up crying of her life was spent now.  And a rain came on, such as had never been seen in that country.  The sun shone all the time, and great, which fell straight to the earth, shone likewise.  The palace was in the heart of a rainbow.  It was a rain of rubies, and sapphires, and emeralds, and topazes. The torrents poured from the mountains like molten gold; and if it had not been for its subterraneous outlet, the lake would have overflowed and inundated the country.  It was full from shore to shore."  Her gravity restored, the Princess and Prince marry and live happily ever after.

The Light Princess
illustration by William Collins

Peasant Shops - sentimental memories

There seems to be little reference to Peasant Shops in the media.  A review of newspaper archives identified a few references which highlight the perception of the Peasant Shop in the 1920s and then 1940s.

In the Aberdeen Journal (27 October 1923) a review of The House of Hope by M. W, Cannan describes the impression of her work by referencing a peasant shop: “Her work rarely falls to an uncomfortable depth, but, on the other hand, it never astonishes by its beauty…This is uncomfortably sentimental, and as pretentious in its pseudo-simplicity as a rich woman’s “restored” country cottage.  Here the atmosphere of the lyrics is lost, and one that reminds us of women’s movements, “peasant” shops, and garden cities discovered instead.”

During the war in 1943, Sylvan Flakes were advertising their products using a nostalgic reference to the 'Peasant Shop' as seen in the Nottingham Evening Post (21 August 1943).

"Organdie Luncheon Set

No coupons could buy it, so wash it with gentle Sylvan Flakes

Remember the ‘Peasant Shop?’  Through its bow window that fine Edelweiss embroidery completely captivated you.  What a good thing you bought those lovely luncheon mats when you did!

Today you should wash them, along with other special treasures, in the gentle lather of Sylvan Flakes.  These rich, pure soap flakes are ideally suited for washing the most delicate fabrics, whether they are made of fine cotton, silk, wool, or linen.

In fact, it is now a popular war-time economy to save Sylvan Flakes for just your most valued possessions, the ‘extra specials’ which cannot be replaced.  You still get three ounces of Sylvan Flakes for one coupon. "

from Nottingham Evening Post
21 August 1943

Peasant Shops elsewhere

There was a Peasant Shop in Gomshall, although I am not clear how and whether this was related in any way to the Haslemere Peasants.  I have come across a postcard of the shop.  The shop appears to be of a wooden temporary type structure reminiscent of some of the Haslemere Peasant Arts buildings at the time, which appear to have been Canadian hutment buildings repurposed from the camp at Bramshott in the First World War.

The Peasant Shop, Gomshall
Diomedia

It would appear that the shop closed in 1923 due to bankruptcy.

The London Gazette
22 June 1923

Elsewhere in the country, I have found references to a Peasant Shop in London.   This was not part of the Peasant Arts Guild.

The Times 8 May 1926 advertised a Peasant Shop in Theobald's Road, London:

"Smocks and smocked frocks, pottery, painted and carved woodwork.  Pleasing wedding presents at the Peasant Shop, 41-42 Devonshire-street, Theobald's road, W.C, Museum 7602."

Peasant Shop advert from
The Times (8 May 1926)

I found this intriguing, and searching a little further I have seen a reference to this shop back in 2002 with someone saying "I have a great aunt (also a Carrie) who was on the fringes of the Bloomsbury movement and opened The Peasant Shop in 1919 or perhaps earlier at 41 Devonshire Street. She sold decorated painted furniture, pictures, textiles, ceramics, etc.  Apparently her shop was frequented by some well known names.  I would love to find out more about her. She overlapped with the famous Omega Studio opened in 1912 by Roger Fry,Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, etc".  

I do not understand where the Peasant Shop was located, as it seems to give two different roads as the  address.  Given that the phone number is given as "museum", I would place it on the present day Theobald's Road, but I do not understand the Devonshire Street reference, which in the present day is located further towards Regents Park, and a few streets away from 83 New Cavendish Street where the Peasant Society was based at least as late as 1910.  

The shop advertised a room to let in 1916 and 1917 in the The Herald.

from The Herald, 24 February 1917 

I have found a better formatted advert in The London Mercury (February 1925, Volume XI, No.64) 

The London Mercury
February 1925, Volume XI, No. 64

I have found the reference to the shop in something online which is referred to as The Letters of Katherine Mansfield Volume 1(here), I do not understand it!

"... I do hope they give you a bed among the pottery. They did. It was the Peasant Shop in Devonshire St., and my landlady was kindness itself.  Can you choose your jug and basin from the stock? I saw that shop the day Munro flouted me and nearly entered in (Forgive me; I am all sticky with eating so much and such continuous Shakespeare)."

Peasant Shopping - Part 8 - High Street & Weydown Road

The timeline of the Haslemere Peasant Shop is a bit confusing.

The newspaper article describing the opening of the Peasant Shop was I believe dated 1907, as in my previous post here.  I believe that the 1907 shop opening was on the High Street.  The postcard below shown in Winter & Collyer's Around Haslemere and Hindhead (Allan Sutton Publishing Group, 1991) was dated 1913, and yet the building on the right, identified in later photographs as the Peasant Arts Shop, does not appear to have any signage outside.  It looks to have the curtains drawn.  Winter (ibid.) explains that "the first pair of tile-hung cottages on the right were once known as Goodwyns and it was here that Will Morley, surveyor responsible for two eighteenth-century borough maps, lived."  Perhaps the postcard photograph originated from earlier than 1913, and was actually earlier than 1907.

In The Vineyard (Issue 3, 1910) the The Peasant Arts Society depot was advertised as "High Street, Haslemere", as seen here.  The E. Hosslin notice of opening a "small Show Room in the High Street" does not refer to the property previously being used by the Haslemere Peasant Arts Society, which if it was taking over the old premises seems to be a puzzling omission.   The two old photographs of the shop with the Three Shuttles sign hanging outside clearly show tape over the window panes.   This places the photographs in the World War 2 period I believe, so during the period when the shop was being operated by Ms E. Hosslin, and after the Peasant Arts Shop time.

Haslemere Weaving and Handicrafts Shop
Haslemere High Street
c.1939
from Around Haslemere, Winter, T.,
Tempus Publishing Limited, 2002

Peasant Arts Society shop,

No. 1 The Pavement, High Street

c.1930

The Haslemere Educational Museum holds photographs of Peasant Arts goods being sold in another building.  After some snooping, I have been able to located this building in the grounds of what was once the garden of Wildwood on Weydown Road.  Wildwood was the home of Greville MacDonald, who retired there in 1919.  This would seem to suggest that the Peasant Shop/ Peasant Arts Society depot on Haslemere High Street was moved to Weydown Road sometime after 1919.  As Wildwood is next to St Cross where Godfrey Blount was living, it might be possible that the building was in place and in use prior to that.  However, due to some very useful hints that local residents have shared with me, it seems certain that this building was one of the Canadian Hutments from the Bramshott camp.  More of this in a future post.  These hutments were auctioned in 1920, which would suggest that the building, and at least one other erected in the grounds of St Cross were established in 1920, with the Peasant Shop whose interior is photographed below being open from perhaps as early as 1921.

Perhaps then the shop on the High Street remained owned by the Peasant Arts Society, maybe it was rented out to a third party, and hence E. Hosslin was able to use it as part of her take over of the weaving industry when she took over the Weaving House at 113 Kings Road in 1933.

Peasant Shop, Weydown Road, c.1919
reproduced courtesy of Haslemere Educational Museum

Peasant Shop, Weydown Road, c.1919
reproduced courtesy of Haslemere Educational Museum

Peasant Shopping - Part 7 - the 1930s

Winter (Around Haslemere, Tempus Publishing Limited, 2002) describes the old photograph of the Peasant Arts shop in Haslemere High Street:

Haslemere Weaving and Handicrafts Shop
Haslemere High Street
c.1939
from Around Haslemere, Winter, T.,
Tempus Publishing Limited, 2002

"This little shop was at the north end of the lovely old house hung with fish-scale tiles next to Well Lane,  During the early part of the twentieth century it had been a favourite place for children when it was a sweet shop.  By the time this postcard was published in the late 1930s (note the air-raid precaution tape across the windows to stop the glass shattering) it was the showroom of Haslemere Weaving and Handicrafts.  The proprietor was E. Hosslin and the workrooms where cotton and linen goods were made, known as the Weaving House, were at Tythe Patch behind the post office.  More recent;y this building was used by both the Haslemere Players and the Thespians for rehearsals and scenery work, but was partially destroyed by fire in August 1997."

Haslemere Weaving Notice, 1933
reproduced courtesy of Haslemere Educational Museum

The Three Limes was a popular tea room and is now a number of different properties including the Haslemere Sweet Shop.  It's interesting to note the incidence of the number three side by side: the Three Limes and then the Three Shuttles.  It would appear from literature produced by E. Hosslin in 1933 that weaving continued at 113 Kings Road, and then at some later date it must have moved to the Weaving House just off the High Street in Haslemere, by the Waitrose car park, that is referred to by Winter (ibid.) above.  I have not been able to find out anything about the history of that Weaving House.  The building remains, although it has been rebuilt to some degree following the fire.

The Three Limes, Haslemere, 1937
old postcard from eBay
A partial glimpse of The Three Shuttles building on the far right

The Three Limes, Haslemere
from Around Haslemere and Hindhead in Old
Photographs, Winter, T & Collyer, G.,
Allan Sutton Publishing Group,
1991