Emanuel Edward Geflowski
Born 1834
Died 11 August 1898
Active: 1859 - 1898
Country of birth: Poland
Country of death: Great Britain
Sculptor, architectural carver
Born Warsaw, Poland. Geflowski was the brother of the sculptor, Maurice Geflowski who worked in Shrewsbury between c.1871-1891 and died there in 1911. Emanuel came to England in the 1850s and was naturalised as a British citizen on 12 July 1864. On 10 May 1859 he married Adèle Chevalier, daughter of Victor Eugène Adolphe Chevalier (born c.1817 in Paris), a mercantile clerk living in Manchester. The Geflowskis initially settled in Liverpool but moved to London during the 1870s. On 15 September 1864 Geflowski was declared bankrupt, however he was released on 2 December the same year. A decade later (26 November 1875) he was awarded a patent (no 3900) for "improvements in cancelling or defacing postage stamps."
Geflowski was the subject of a controversy relating to the commissioning of a statue of Sir William Fairbairn, the engineer, businessman and philanthropist for Manchester Town Hall. The appointing committee initially selected the more established sculptor, Thomas Woolner but this decision was over-ruled and Geflowski, despite being relatively unknown, was given the project. (It is possible, but unproven, that his father-in-law had influential connections on the committee through his work as a mercantile clerk.) Emanuel completed the more than life-size statue carved in marble on a granite plinth to schedule in 1878.
Geflowski's other known works include: a bust of Garibaldi (Walker Art gallery, Liverpool); a portrait of Edwin Waugh (Salford Art Gallery); a posthumous bust of Dr. Richard Formby for the Royal Liverpool Infirmary; a bust of Robert George Wyndham Herbert, owned by the Royal Historical Society of Queensland (1884); a statue of Queen Victoria, commissioned by the Chinese Community of Singapore to commemorate the jubilee, (unveiled in 1881). Amongst Geflowski's ecclesiastical sculptures are: carvings for All Soul's Chapel, Oxford; the reredos, Holy Trinity, Cirencester; and choirstall carvings, Church of St Michael and All Angels, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion (c.1890).
Between 1887 and 1893 Geflowski was a customer of the moulder and figure maker Fernando Meacci who piece moulded or cast in plaster a number of the sculptor's busts and statuettes. Emanuel Geflowski died at 24 Wilbury Road, Hove, Sussex. One of his daughters, Marie (c.1864-1932) was probably associated c.1901 with the Hyacinth Portrait Company, 108 Buckingham Palace Road and also modelled a bust of Queen Victoria which was cast by Mappin Brothers of Sheffield (advertisement in the 'The Sketch', London, 13 April 1901, p. i).
See Naturalisation Papers: Geflowski, Emmanuel Edward, from Poland. Certificate 4448 issued 12 July 1864. Piece reference, National Archives, HO 1/116/4448 and an image and details of the statue in Singapore at http://www.publicart.sg/?q=Geflowski-Queen-Victoria (both accessed 13 January 2012)
Wealth at death: £155 14s. 10d.
Probate date: 25 August 1898
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Statuette of the Late Dr Chadwick, Bolton
Llewellyn, the last Prince of the Britons
1881 (Presumed)
Sir I. D. Gordon, KCSI
1883 (Presumed)
'Something in the wind'
1883 (Presumed)
Statuette of Sir William Fairbairn, Bart
1885 (Presumed)
Bust of General Sir F. Roberts, KCB, CB, &c.
1885 (Presumed)
Locations
Address Bootle Mount Bootle Liverpool | View on map
Lodging at this address (presumably with his family) for about nineteen weeks prior to October 1864
Address 30 Clarence Street Liverpool | View on map
1861 (Circa) - 1863 (Circa)
Address Pembroke Gardens Brownlow Street Liverpool | View on map
1864 (Circa)
Place of business, also working from 16 Castle Street at this date
Address 16 Castle Street Liverpool | View on map
1864 (Circa)
Place of business, also working from Pembroke Gardens at this date
Address 21 Camden Road London NW | View on map
1878 (Circa)
Address 13 Bruton Street Berkeley Square London | View on map
1881 (Circa) - 1885 (Circa)
Address 4 Pembruge Villas Friars Place Lane London | View on map
1881 (Circa)
Address 27 Trafalgar Square Chelsea London SW | View on map
1891 (Circa)
Studio located at 5 Stratford Studios Stratford Road London | View on map
1898
Studio address for Geflowski given in probate calendar
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Third Annual Autumn Exhibition of Modern Pictures in Oil and Water Colour, and Architectural Designs, &c (Nottingham Castle Museum), 1883
'Sir I. D. Gordon, KCSI'
Exhibited at Fifth Annual Autumn Exhibition of Modern Pictures in Oil and Water Colour, and Architectural Designs, &c. (Nottingham Castle Museum), 1885
'Bust of General Sir F. Roberts, KCB, CB, &c.'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1891
'Bust of the Queen'
Exhibited at Royal Manchester Institution, Exhibition of the Works of Modern Artists, 1878
Multiple works
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-first (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1891
1891
The Late Edwin Waugh, the Lancashire poet (cat. no. 1225, plaster bust, £26 5s.);
H.M. The Queen, model for the Jubilee bust for the Kensington Town Hall (cat. no. 1231, £42).
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1867 - 1872
Exhibited 3 times, average 1 work per year.
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the first (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1871
1871
Early Sorrows (cat. no. 892, marble, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the second (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1872
1872
Medallion Portrait of W. Winter Raffles, Esq. (cat. no. 958, marble, not for sale); Medallion Portrait of Mrs W. W. Raffles (cat. no. 959, marble, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the third (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1873
1873
Giovanina (cat. no. 1028, marble, £105); The Rev. A. Hume, DCL, LLD (cat. no. 1054, plaster, not for sale); Dr Harris (cat. no. 1056, marble, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fourth (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1874
1874
Right Hon. Montague Bernard (cat. no. 1091, plaster bust, not for sale); Cheering the Captives (cat. no. 1100, marble, £262 10s.).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fourth (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1874
1874
Queen of the May (cat. no. 1092, marble, £40); Undine (cat. no. 1094, marble, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the seventh (Liverpool), 1877
1877
The late Dr Chadwick, of Bolton (cat. no. 1295, plaster, £31 10s.); Lord Byron (cat. no. 1297, plaster, £36 15s.); Something in the Wind (cat. no. 1315, plaster, £52 10s.).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the tenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1880
1880
Colonel Bousfield (cat. no. 1069, not for sale); Mrs Bousfield (cat. no. 1070, not for sale).
Exhibited at Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition (Cardiff), 1881
1881
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fourteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1884
1884
General Sir Frederick Roberts, KCB (cat. no. 2224, exhibited in Room I, £36 15s.); George Grote, the Greek Historian (cat. no. 2230, £31 10s.); Sir W. Fairbairn, Bart. (cat. no. 2270, £36 15s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1885
1885
Joseph Knight, Esq., RI (cat. no. 1458, terracotta, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the eighteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1888
1888
Young England (cat. no. 1384A, terracotta, £21).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-third (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1893
1893
Joan of Arc (cat. no. 1161, £52 10s.).
Personal and Professional Connections
Employed as studio assistant Robert Glassby Snr
1860 - 1864 (Circa)
In Liverpool. Geflowski was declared bankrupt in 1864 and, at about the same time, Glassby moved to London.
Sister/sibling of Maurice Geflowski
Based on the legacies left by Maurice to his nieces Marie and Amy in 1911
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
'Sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'Sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Sculptor' neither employer nor employed
Occupation given in The London Gazette
'Sculptor and Architectural Carver' (given in the notice of Geflowski's bankruptcy (and subsequent release) in October and December 1864
Sources
A Catalogue of the Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition 1881
1881 (Presumed)
p.61
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-third, 1893 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1893
pp. 42-45.
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the eighteenth, 1888 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1888
pp. 54-56.
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth, 1885 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1885
pp. 85-87.
British bronze sculpture founders and plaster figure makers, 1800-1980
February 2011
http://www.npg.org.uk/research/programmes/british-bronze-founders-and-plaster-figure-makers-1800-1980-1/british-bronze-founders-and-plaster-figure-makers-1800-1980-m.php (accessed 13 January 2012)
Catalogue of the Exhibition of the Works of Modern Artists, City of Manchester Art Gallery, 1878
1878
Cat. No. 1044, 1050, 1051, pp. 87, 88, 97
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1891
1891
Cat. No. 443, pp. 47, 103
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
2004
Class: RG9; Piece: 2685; Folio: 114; Page: 5; GSU roll: 543012.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
RG10 piece 4004 folio 54 page 41 (for evidence re his wife's family)
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
Class: RG11; Piece: 1353; Folio: 4; Page: 1; Line: ; GSU roll: 1341328.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 59 folio 28 page 52
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915
2006
Name: Emmanuel Edward Geflowski
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1859
Registration district: Manchester
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume Number: 8d
Page Number: 222
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858-1966
2010
Name: Emmanuel Edward Geflowski
Probate Date: 25 Aug 1898
Death Date: 11 Aug 1898
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: London
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1871 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1871
p. 32.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1872 Walker Art Gallery
1872
p. 35.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1873 Walker Art Gallery
1873
pp. 39-40.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1874 Walker Art Gallery
1874
pp. 42-43.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1877 Walker Art Gallery
1877
pp. 69-71.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1880 Walker Art Gallery
1880
pp. 67-69.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1884 Walker Art Gallery
1884
pp. 129-132.
Public Sculpture of Greater Manchester Public Sculpture of Britain
2004
pp. 41-2 & 446
The London Gazette
Issue number 22904, 21 October 1864, p. 4999 AND issue number 22920, 13 December 1864, p. 6590 AND issue number 24270, 26 November 1875, p. 5830
Citing this record
'Emanuel Edward Geflowski', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib5_1206733454, accessed 26 May 2013]
