Ercole James Parlanti
Born 1871 (Circa)
Died 1955
Active: 1901 - 1953
Country of birth: Italy
Country of death: England
Bronze founder, business owner
Born in Rome. He was the son of Antonio Parlanti and the brother of Alessandro Parlanti (c.1862-1921 or later). Ercole came to Britain c.1897 and worked for his brother Alessandro at the bronze foundry in Parson's Green Lane. Before his brother’s retirement c.1918-19, Ercole Parlanti set up his own foundry in West Kensington. In the early 1920s he prospered from commissions for war memorials and in March 1926, the business became a limited company, with Ercole, his son Conrad and Mervyn Lambert as directors. However, the firm soon ran into difficulties following its expansion as art metal founders into additional premises in Victoria Street in Westminster. The business entered into liquidation in 1926 and Parlanti himself was subject to bankruptcy proceedings in 1927. Ercole's business and property at Beaumont Road were purchased in March 1927 by the Crittall Manufacturing Co and afterwards focused on making bronze casements.
Three years later Ercole founded Parlanti’s Ltd, perhaps with his son Conrad, in Winders Road, Battersea. Little is known of Parlanti’s later work except for his castings for the automotive artist, Frederick Gordon-Crosby, including a prototype model for the Jaguar brand in about 1937. Ercole wrote 'Casting a Torso in Bronze by the Cire Perdue Process', published in 1953 by Alec Tiranti Ltd. His son, Conrad (1903-84), was in business independently as a metal craftsman and in 1955 moved to the United States.
This entry includes information from Jacob Simon's 'British bronze sculpture founders and plaster figure makers, 1800-1980', National Portrait Gallery (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-p.php) and from the website created by Steve Parlanti http://www.parlantibronzefoundries.co.uk/. There is also a published account of the firm in 'The Parlantis: Art Bronze Founders of Fulham' by Steve Parlanti (2010). All three contain more detailed accounts of the history of the foundry and its casting records.
Locations
Address Albion Works 59 Parson's Green Lane London | View on map
1901 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
This was a business address as well as a place of residence. The Parlanti foundry operated from here between 1896-1918 whilst it was under the ownership of Alessandro Parlanti.
Institutional and Business Connections
Teacher of bronze casting Central School of Arts and Crafts
September 1908 - August 1909 (Presumed)
The teacher's name is given as 'F. Parlanti' in the prospectus, but it is is assumed this is a typographical error and the teacher was Ercole because there was no 'F. Parlanti' in London at this time. Teaching bronze casting required considerable knowledge and expertise, and Central employed highly qualified people on its staff. Ercole would have matched these requirements.
Personal and Professional Connections
Sister/sibling of Alessandro Parlanti
Alessandro was older than Ercole by about ten years
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Bronze Foundry' worker and his brother Alessandro (c.1862-1921 or later) 'Artistic Bronze Foundry' working on own account
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Artistic Bronze Founder' employer
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-p.php (accessed 30 December 2012)
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2001
Class: RG13; Piece: 66; Folio: 115; Page: 37
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2009
RG14PN347 RG78PN11 RD3 SD5 ED10 SN329
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2007
2007
Name: Ercole J Parlanti
Birth Date: abt 1871
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1955
Age at Death: 84
Registration district: Ealing
Inferred County: Middlesex
Volume: 5e
Page: 92
London County Council Central School of Arts and Crafts. Prospectus & Time-Table for the Session Commencing 21 September 1908
21 September 1908
p. 2. The staff list gives an 'F. Parlanti' as teacher of bronze casting. It is assumed this is a typographical error and should have been 'E. Parlanti' (see additional remarks above).
Citing this record
'Ercole James Parlanti', 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=ann_1356905966, accessed 13 Aug 2022]