Singers of Frome

Other names: Frome Art Metal Works (1848), Singers of Frome, J.W. Singer and Sons Ltd. (c.1900), Messrs. Singers (c.1916), Singer & Co (early 1920s),
Foundation date: 1848

Active: 1848 -

Function: Art metalworks, bronze founders (cire perdue), bronze foundry

History or description: The company was founded by the silversmith, John Webb Singer, as the Frome Art Metal Works, Somerset. Singer started the company to meet the demand for ecclesiastical metalwork. In 1888 an art bronze foundry was added to the range of services offered by the firm.

John Webb Singer's sons, Walter Herbert (born c.1853) and Edgar Ratcliffe (born c.1858) became, respectively, a manager and designer for the company c.1881-91. They took over running the firm in 1899 when Singers became a private limited liability company. Walter Herbert was the managing director and Edgar Ratcliffe was one of three other directors.

Under Walter's direction Singers acquired their major rival, Spital and Clark of Birmingham for £12,500 in 1914. Ernest and Clifford Spital joined the Board as Managing Director and Works Director respectively. Between 1914-18 the firm was requisitioned by the Government to make munitions and women were employed for the first time.

In 1927, William Morris & Co (Westminster) Ltd acquired the art bronze foundry run by Singers. The London firm was then renamed Morris Singer Co whilst the Singers business continued at Frome minus its work casting sculptures.

A history of the foundry entitled 'A Century of Statues: the History of the Morris Singer Foundry' was published by Duncan S. James in 1984. There is also information about the company on the Frome Museum website (http://www.fromemuseum.org/singer1.htm) and in the directory of 'British bronze sculpture founders and plaster figure makers, 1800-1980' (see below).

Employees, Students & Members

Numbers: 12
Period Start: 1871

Numbers: 47
Period Start: 1881

Citing this record

'Singers of Frome', 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=msib6_1222448475, accessed 24 May 2022]