George Blackall Simonds
Born 6 October 1843
Died 16 December 1929
Active: 1875 - 1910
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, director of brewery company, falconer
Born in Berkshire. Inherited the family brewery (H & G Simonds Brewery, Reading) on the death of his elder brother in 1905, when took the family name 'Blackall'.
In 1858, aged 15, he went to study sculpture under Professor Johannes Schilling in Dresden, moving on to study under Louis Jehotte at the Academy of Brussels, before living and working for 12 years in Rome from 1864. He returned to London in 1875 and set up his studio at 152 Buckingham Palace Road, moving on to Priory Studios, 21 North Bank in St John’s Wood in 1888.
Simonds created over 200 works in an extraordinary diversity of media and techniques, mastering; marble, bronze, plaster, terra cotta, cameo, silver, brass, wood and cast iron.
Includes information from: © Raymond Simonds, London, April 2004
http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/gbsimonds.html
Wealth at death: £121,848 7s. 4d.
Probate resworn, originally: £117, 892 12s. 4d.
Probate date: 5 April 1930
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.
Silver loving-cup: partly cast
The Falconer
1900 (Circa)
The Swan Maiden
1901
Briscis
1902
Psyche, study of a young girl
1902 (Circa)
Locations
Address 6 Vicolo di San Nicolo da Tolentius Rome | View on map
1866 (Circa) - 1873 (Circa)
Address 8 Kensington Square London | View on map
1875
Address 56 Bedford Gardens Camden Hill London W | View on map
1875 (Circa)
Address 40 Piazza Barberini Rome | View on map
1875 (Circa) - 1876 (Circa)
Address 152 Buckingham Palace Road London | View on map
1877 (Circa) - 1885 (Circa)
Address The Priory 21 North Bank London NW | View on map
1895 (Presumed) - 1911
Address 65 Hamilton Terrace St. John's Wood London NW | View on map
1900 (Circa) - 1903 (Circa)
Address Bradfield House Bradfield | View on map
1911 - 1915
Address Holly Copse Goring Heath Reading | View on map
1915 - 1929
Sources give Goring Heath as in Oxfordshire
Studio located at Priory Studios Lodge Place London | View on map
1888 (Circa) - 1899 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: First Exhibition, 1888
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Manchester Institution, Exhibition of the Works of Modern Artists, 1875
Multiple works
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1898
Multiple works
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1900
'The Falconer'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1902
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1866 - 1903
Exhibited 29 times, about 46 works in all
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the ninth (Liverpool), 1879
1879
Dionysos (cat. no. 1354, group in marble, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the tenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1880
1880
Ideal Head - Study for Statue, Persephone (cat. no. 1046, £105); Study for the Head of the Statue of the 'Falconer,' in the Central Park, New York (cat. no. 1076, £157 10s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the eleventh (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1881
1881
The Dead Medusa (cat. no. 1427, £120).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-first (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1891
1891
The Four Seasons (cat. no. 1276, panel for a mantelpiece, copper low relief, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-third (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1893
1893
Perseus the Destroyer (cat. no. 1220, bronze statuette, £35).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fourth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1894
1894
Portrait Study (cat. no. 1282, plaster study, not for sale); The Goddess Gerd - The Aurora Borealis (cat. no. 1295, bronze statuette, £250).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-sixth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1896
1896
Miss Blanch Hannington (cat. no. 1165, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-eighth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1898
1898
Central Decoration for the Studio Door of L. Alma Tadema, Esq., RA (cat. no. 1443, brass repoussé, not for sale); Hervor Alvit - The Swan Girl and her Companions (cat. no. 1461, marble group, £1200).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-ninth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1899
1899
Hawking (cat. no. 1338, bronze statuette, £70); Music (cat. no. 1351, decorative panel, £50); Song and Dance (cat. no. 1418, design for fountain, for sale life-size in bronze £1050).
Exhibited at International Exhibition, Glasgow, 1901
1901
Lectured on Bronze Founding (Art Workers Guild), 1885
Lectured on Modelling and Sculpture (The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society), 1888
Speaker at Terra Cotta (Art Workers Guild), 1887
Speaker at Mural Monuments and Effigies (Art Workers Guild), 1889
Speaker at The Use of Colour in Sculpture (Art Workers Guild), 1890
Speaker at The Artistic Use of Constructive Ironwork (Art Workers Guild), 1890
Speaker at Reproductive Processes in Sculpture (Art Workers G), 1891
Speaker at Fountains (Art Workers Guild), 1901
Speaker at Stucco Duro and Scrafitto (Art Workers Guild), 1901
Speaker at The Relation of Sculpture to Architecture (Art Workers Guild), 1889
1889
Identity of speaker uncertain, possibly George Blackall Simonds
Speaker at Things amiss with Art and Industry (Art Workers Guild), 1889
1889
Identity of speaker uncertain, possibly George Blackall Simonds
Institutional and Business Connections
Associate member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1929 (Presumed)
Died in 1929.
Donor to Art Workers Guild
1890
Gave a bust he had made of Walter Crane
Donor to Art Workers Guild
1927
Presented Guild with 'a modelling-stand which has been used in turn by Flaxman, Chantry, Weekes, Munroe, Lynn and himself' [AWG annual report for 1927, p.9].
Master of Art Workers Guild
1884 - 1885
First Master of the Guild
Member of Art Workers Guild
1884 - 1929
Master 1884-1885, resigned 1899, made honorary member in 1900.
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1905 - 7 February 1910
Amongst those 'Invited to join without the formality of proposal and seconding' [January 10 1905, Royal Society of British Sculptors, Minutes of Council Meetings, Vol.I]. Resigned in 1910 [see separate entry] only to rejoin in 1921.
Rejoined Royal Society of British Sculptors
1921 - 1929 (Presumed)
Died in 1929
Resigned from Royal Society of British Sculptors
7 February 1910
Letter of resignation accepted with regret [7 February 1910, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Unsuccessful in ballot for election to Royal Academy of Arts
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by William Calder Marshall
27 April 1875
For RA; unsuccessful.
Seconded by John Pettie
27 April 1875
For RA; unsuccessful.
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1880 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2371
Sources
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Eleventh Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1902
October 1902
p. 48
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Ninth Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1898
October 1898
p. 51
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Tenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1900
October 1900
p. 50
Annual Programme Cards, 1884-1934
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1885-1900
1885, p.4; 1887, p.4; 1889, p.5; 1890, pp.5-6; 1891, p.7.
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1901-1912
1901, p.6 and all lists of members' addresses.
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1913-1933
1927, p.9 and all lists of members' addresses until 1929.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the First Exhibition.
1888
p.12.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-eighth, 1898 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1898
pp. 45-48.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fourth, 1894 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1894
pp. 49-52.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-ninth, 1899 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1899
pp. 48-52.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-sixth, 1896 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1896
pp. 45-48.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-third, 1893 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1893
pp. 42-45.
Catalogue of the Exhibition of the Works of Modern Artists, City of Manchester Art Gallery, 1875
1875
Cat. No. 824, pp. 76, 91
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: George Simonds
Probate Date: 5 Apr 1930
Death Date: 16 Dec 1929
Death Place: Berkshire, England
Registry: London, England
International Exhibition Glasgow, 1901,
Official Catalogue of the Fine Art Section
1901
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1879 Walker Art Gallery
1879
pp. 79-82.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1880 Walker Art Gallery
1880
p. 67.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1881 Walker Art Gallery
1881
pp. 81-82.
Post Office London Directory, 1880 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1880
p. 1812
Post Office London Directory, 1900 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1900
p.2371
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1866-1906
1906
1875.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
10 January 1905; 7 February 1910.
Citing this record
'George Blackall Simonds', 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_1206051288, accessed 04 Oct 2023]
