Portfolio of designs for Australian silver and metal objects, ca. 1879 / by Alfred John Cresswell

PXA 7166

fonds

ca. 1879

Graphic Materials, Drawings

1001665

114 drawings - 28 x 21 cm - pencil, ink, pen, watercolour

Alfred John Cresswell (36), metal worker from Aston, Warwickshire, is listed as departing from Plymouth for Australia as an immigrant per The Forfarshire in Nov 1873, arriving at Adelaide, SA, with his wife Louisa (nee Chidlow) and five children (South Australian Advertiser, 22 Jan 1874, p.2).
It is not known how or when the Cresswell’s arrived in Sydney but information included in this portfolio suggests that, by 1878, AJ Cresswell was working as silversmith for Evan Jones, one of the colony’s leading manufacturers. Little more is known, or recorded about Cresswell as a metalworker beyond this portfolio, which is regrettable as he was obviously a talented, if anonymous, craftsman and designer.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

First offered at Mossgreen Auctions (Sydney) Fine Jewels & Watches Sale, on 16 Nov. 2015, as Lot 355. According to the vendor, the portfolio was subsequently acquired from ‘a second-hand dealer in the Newcastle area’, who stated that it had been purchased in ‘garage sale’ about 10 or more years ago. (email correspondence)

This portfolio contains a series of 114 decorative metalwork designs, some with original autograph captions in ink, arranged into a number of categories:
Plates 1 & 2 show grand presentation pieces with detailed captions
Plates 3 to 48 are mainly examples of Church Plate including Chalices, Crosses, Children’s (Christening) cups, Ciborium and Thuribles, some with annotations
Plates 49 to 86 are also presentation pieces such as vases, claret jugs, spades, trowels, etc. in gold and silver, some bearing ink captions.
Plates 87 to 114, are of mounted emu eggs, vividly coloured in green watercolour, and/or using the Queensland bean, also with occasional descriptive annotations.

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales.

Spine damaged; some evidence of soiling and water damage; some designs with later [juvenile] colour pencil additions.