William Bateman Fagan
Born 1860
Died 9 April 1948
Active: 1881 - 1935
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, architectural sculptor, figure carver
Born in Bermondsey, London in the autumn of 1860. He was the son of Daniel Bateman Fagan (c.1809-71, born in Manchester), a currier (leather worker). His mother was Elizabeth Fagan (born c.1820 in Stockton on Lees), annuitant. William was educated in Dulwich and then attended South London Technical School of Art (Lambeth School of Art) 1881-5 where he studied under William Silver Frith. Between 1915-1919 he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps at the 3rd London General Hospital with Francis Derwent Wood, and possibly also Frederick John Wilcoxson and Thomas Humphrey Paget.
Fagan was primarily an architectural sculptor who worked in bronze, stone and concrete. By the 1920s he had established a large workshop. Fagan worked on a number of English cathedrals, the Hamburg-American offices in Charing Cross, a memorial tablet to the Dutch marine artists Willem Van de Velde the elder and the younger, in St. James’s Church, Piccadilly, and the municipal buildings in Birmingham. War memorials by Fagan include a memorial tablet in St Mary the Virgin Church, Little Baddow, Essex (1920) and the memorial Upper Norwood, Westow Street, Upper Norwood, South London (1922). He may also have carved figure sculptures for the old P&O building in Cockspur Street, and some of the carvings on the façade of Bush House.
However his most important commission was the architectural sculpture scheme for Imperial Chemicals House, Millbank, architect Sir Frank Baines. (The large figure sculptures representing four industries on the fifth floor are by Charles Sargeant Jagger.) The ground floor entrance is Fagan's most visible contribution and comprises massive bronze doors (modelled on the baptistery, Florence) surrounded by architectural carvings on a maritime theme cut in granite. There are six relief panels on each door depicting advances in technology. The panels are paired with stone age technologies represented on the left contrasted with modern, industrial scenes on the right. The latter culminates (bottom right) with a scene showing the chemist, Michael Farraday lecturing to the Royal Institution. Fagan also completed the heads of scientists (primarily chemists) and industrialists on the keystones above the fourth floor windows which were commissioned in August 1927. These depict: Alfred Mond, Harry McGowan, Ludwig Mond, Alfred Nobel, Berthelet, Henry Cavendish, Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier, Justus von Liebig, Dmitri Medeleyef and Joseph Priestley.
The information about Fagan's commission for Imperial Chemicals House has been contributed by Dr. Dennis Wardleworth from his doctoral thesis 'Building the Modern Corporation: Corporate Art Patronage in Interwar Britain', Southampton Institute (now Southampton Solent), 2002. There is a fuller discussion of Francis Derwent Wood and the facial injuries unit in Sarah Crellin, 'Hollow Men: Francis Derwent Wood's masks and memorials, 1915-1925.' Sculpture Journal, vol 6, 2001, pp. 75-88
Wealth at death: £8,456 4s. 11d.
Probate date: 25 May 1948
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.
Miss E H Young
1935
Locations
Address 4 Fairford Grove Lambeth London | View on map
1881 (Circa)
Address 1 Ravensdon Street Kennington London | View on map
1887 (Circa)
Address 40 Stockwell Park Crescent Lambeth London | View on map
1891 (Circa)
Living at this address with his mother and siblings
Address 17A Trafalgar Square Chelsea London | View on map
1901 (Circa)
Address 61 Glebe Place Chelsea London SW | View on map
1906 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
Address 21 Beaufort Mansions Chelsea London SW | View on map
1948
Living at this address at the time of his death
Studio located at 2 Harley Studios Priory Grove London W | View on map
1900 (Circa) - 1903 (Circa)
Studio located at The Studio, Selwood Place Onslow Gardens London | View on map
1910 (Circa) - 1924 (Circa)
Also using another address between these dates
Studio located at 7 Wentworth Studios Manresa Road London | View on map
1914 (Circa)
Studio located at 1 Logan Studios Logan Place London | View on map
1926 (Circa)
Studio located in 1 Wentworth Studios Manresa Road London SW | View on map
1934 (Circa) - 1944 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Third Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1901
'The Boy'
Exhibited at Eighth Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1908
Multiple works
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1902
'In Quiet Contemplation'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1903
Multiple works
Exhibited at Corporation of Manchester Art Gallery, Twentieth Autumn Exhibition, 1902
'In Quiet Contemplation'
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Seventy-Fourth Annual Exhibition, 1935
'Miss E H Young'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1887 - 1944
Exhibited 13 times (1887, 1901, 1904, 1906-7, 1909, 1914, 1923-4, 1926, 1934-5, 1944), thirteen works in all (portrait heads, statuettes and reliefs)
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the thirty-first (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1901
1901
In Quiet Contemplation (cat. no. 1574, marble bust, £31 10s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures & sculpture: the thirty-second (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1902
1902
The Boy (cat. no. 1422, bronze head, £25).
Institutional and Business Connections
Associate member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1938 (Presumed)
Became fellow in 1938.
Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1938 - 1948
Died in 1948.
Member of Chelsea Arts Club
According to his obituary in The Times, Fagan was one of the oldest members of the club
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1908 - 1948
Died in 1948.
Student at South London Technical School of Art (also Lambeth School of Art and City and Guilds of London Art School)
1881 (Circa) - 1885 (Circa)
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by Frederick William Pomeroy
18 February 1907 - 11 March 1907
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. Consideration of application for canditure postponed until next meeting, when Pomeroy and Lee would be present.
Nominator of Charles Sykes
March 1938
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Seconded by Thomas Stirling Lee
18 February 1907 - 11 March 1907
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. Consideration of application for canditure postponed until next meeting, when Pomeroy and Lee would be present.
Wife/husband/spouse to Betty Fagan
1889
They had no children
Worked with Francis Derwent Wood
At the facial injuries unit during the First World War according to The Times, Monday, Apr 19, 1948; pg. 6; Issue 51049; col D Mr. W. B. Fagan Category: Obituaries
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2371
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Sculptor' and employed
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Sculptor (Stone)' working on own account
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'Sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Sculptor' working on own account away
Sources
Autumn exhibition of pictures & sculpture: the thirty-second, 1902 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1902
pp. 42-47.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
2008
Name: William Bateman Fagan
Regiment or Corps: RAMC TF 3rd Lon GH
Regimental Number: 541089
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1902
1902
Cat. No. 474, pp. 45, 62
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1903
1903
Cat. No. 343, pp. 37, 72
Catalogue of the Twentieth Autumn Exhibition (Manchester Art Gallery), 1902
1902
Cat. No. 241, pp. 42, 47
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
RG11 piece 594 folio 72 page 41
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 405 folio 63 page 54
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2001
Class: RG13; Piece: 72; Folio: 12; Page: 15.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2009
RG14PN403 RG78PN13 RD4 SD2 ED7 SN357
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
2006
Name: William Fagan
Year of Registration: 1860
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Bermondsey (1837-69)
County: Surrey
Volume: 1d
Page: 101
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915
2006
Name: William Bateman Fagan
Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1861
Spouse Name: Bessie Maud Christian Smith
Spouse Age: 33
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 7 Oct 1899
Parish: West Brompton
Borough: Kensington and Chelsea
Father Name: Daniel Bateman Fagan
Spouse Father Name: George Smith
Register Type: Parish Register
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: William Bateman Fagan
Probate Date: 25 May 1948
Death Date: 9 Apr 1948
Death Place: London, England
Registry: London, England
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2371
Report of the South London Technical School of Art (City and Guilds of London Institute), 1888
June 1888
p. 9
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
18 February 1907; 11 March 1907.
Sculpture of To-day: America, Great Britain and Japan, vol. 1
1921
pp. 88, 95, 98
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
The Times, Monday, Apr 19, 1948; pg. 6; Issue 51049; col D
Mr. W. B. Fagan
Category: Obituaries
Citing this record
'William Bateman Fagan', 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=msib2_1203542346, accessed 25 Mar 2023]
