Art Bronze Foundry
Other names: Art Bronze Foundry (London) Ltd (from 1951)
Active: 1922 -
Function: Bronze founder, bronze foundry
History or description: The Art Bronze Foundry was established in 1922 by Charles Andrew Gaskin (1890-1969) according to the company's website. It first appears in the London telephone directories in 1925. The business relocated from its first premises at 440 Fulham Road, Chelsea, to its current address in Michael Road close to the Kings Road in 1953 (or c.1957-8 based on telephone directory entry).
The following information about the development of the firm is based on the company's website and information from Jacob Simon's 'British bronze sculpture founders and plaster figure makers, 1800-1980 - A'. During the Second World War, the foundry continued on a reduced staff with Gaskin and Bill Hayter senior as plaster and wax moulder. After the war, the team expanded to include craftsmen like John Carney, later of Fiorini & Carney; Jim O’Donnell; Burt Paine; and Charles Gaskin’s brother-in-law, Bert Francis, and, from about 1950, Gaskin’s son Michael, Francis’s brother Len Freiensener (b.1917) and son Roy (b.1929), and Bill Hayter’s son Bill. These four were directors of the business until the 1990s (they were listed as M.C. Gaskin, L. Freiensener, Roy H. Francis and W.F. Hayter in 1977 (National Portrait Gallery records, RP 1748). The foundry is now run by Philip Freiensener and Paul van Veen.
See the National Portrait Gallery site and http://www.artbronze.co.uk/index.html (accessed 29 December 2012)
Locations
Address 1 & 3 Michael Road Off King's Road London SW6 England | View on map
1957 (Circa)
To the present
Located at 440 Fulham Road London England | View on map
1925 (Circa) - 1957 (Circa)
Dates given on company website for this address are 1922-1953. These dates are based on entries in London telephone directory
Descriptions of Business or Institution
Listed under Foundries Post Office London Directory, 1950 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1950
p.2027
Listed as 'Bronze Founder'
Sources
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-a.php (accessed 29 December 2012)
British Phone Books, 1885-1984
2007
Name: Art Bronze Foundry
Address: 440 Fulham rd SW6
Exchange: WESTern
City/Town: Western
Directory Title: London Surnames A - D
Publication Year: 1925
Directory County: London
Page Number: 34
AND
Name: Art Bronze Foundry
Address: 1 Michael rd SW6
Exchange: RENown
City/Town: Renown
Directory Title: London Surnames A - D
Publication Year: 1958
Directory County: London
Page Number: 93
Post Office London Directory, 1950 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1950
p.2027
Citing this record
'Art Bronze Foundry', 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/organization.php?id=msib1_1277102170, accessed 25 Sep 2023]
