Benjamin Creswick
Born 29 January 1853
Died February 1946
Active: 1871 - 1927
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, teacher of modelling and modelled design
Born in Sheffield. Creswick's father, Edward (born c.1811 in Birmingham, Warwickshire) was a spectacle maker. Benjamin was first apprenticed as a knife grinder, and was largely a self-taught modeller. The artist Frank Brangwyn notes that John Ruskin 'discovered Creswick in Sheffield and undertook his training'. Ruskin is also credited with introducing Creswick to A.H. Mackmurdo. Although not actually a member, Creswick produced plaster figures for fireplaces shown at the Century Guild’s display at the Inventions Exhibition, London 1885 and also collaborated with Mackmurdo on further projects until 1888.
Creswick created a wide range of works in a variety of media including: metal, wood, plaster and terra cotta and printing. He worked for a period in Liverpool and Manchester before settling in Birmingham on his appointment as Master of Modelling and Modelled Design at Birmingham School of Art in 1889.
After his retirement in 1918 Creswick continued working, and completed a number of private commissions. His major works include: friezes for Cutler’s Hall, City of London (1887-8); a frieze for Henry Heath’s showroom, Oxford Street, London (destroyed); a huge figure of Humanity for the Positivist church, London; a Memorial to the Men of Huddersfield, Greenhead Park, Huddersfield (1904-5). Creswick died in Sutton Coldfield.
This record includes information from Noszlopy (1998) and 'The Late Benjamin Creswick. Tribute by Sir Frank Brangwyn, R.A', Birmingham Post, 13 November, 1946, in 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 38, pp. 123-124. There is now a website developed by Annie Creswick Dawson with details of Creswick's work and career: http://benjamincreswick.org.uk/ (accessed17 January 2013)
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.
Design for wood carving: marine subject
The Village Smith: 'Under a spreading chesnut tree'
The Village Smith: 'He goes on Sunday to the church'
The Village Smith: 'The children coming home from school'
Four plaster casts: decorative
Study for gargoyle: cast in plaster, for stone or terracotta
Sketch model in plaster of lions fighting
Model for Toby Jug and Jam Jar
Portrait Bust of the Late James Broughton
Collaborated on Buffet
1886 (Circa)
Creswick created the sculptures for the buffet
The Late T. Lees, Esq.
1892 (Presumed)
A Clever Pass
1892 (Presumed)
'Love was Once a Little Boy'
1893 (Presumed)
'Spring, the Sweet, Sweet Spring'
1893 (Presumed)
Mr Alderman Kenrick, MP
1893 (Presumed)
The late Mr Joseph Moore
1893 (Presumed)
Family Cares
1894 (Presumed)
Samson Slays the Lion
1894 (Presumed)
The Late Archdeacon Blakeney, proposed memorial
1895 (Presumed)
The Late Archdeacon Blakeney
1895 (Presumed)
The Late Dr Dale
1895
Innocence
1896 (Presumed)
Statuette
November 1896 (Presumed)
Statuette
November 1896 (Presumed)
Miss Mary Creswick
1897 (Presumed)
Building the Partheon
1897 (Presumed)
Bust of Joseph Hill
21 September 1897 (Presumed)
Mother and Child
1899 (Presumed)
The Enchantress
1900 (Presumed)
Designed Fruit Stand
1901 (Presumed)
Jewel Case
1901 (Presumed)
Cigarette Box
1901 (Presumed)
Cigar Box
1901 (Presumed)
Clock Case
1901 (Presumed)
Cigar Box
1901
This is the second of two copper cigar boxes exhibted in 1901 (612, 620).
The Enchantress
1901 (Presumed)
Reverie
1901 (Presumed)
Sketch Model: Bishop Vesey
1901 (Presumed)
The Late Chung Keng Quee (listed as The Late Cheng Keng Lei)
1902 (Presumed)
News Boy
1903 (Presumed)
The Late Alderman G. B. Lloyd
1903 (Presumed)
Model Design
1905 (Presumed)
Model Design, no. 2
1905 (Presumed)
The Bread Winner
1905 (Presumed)
The Little Help Mate
October 1905 (Presumed)
The Old Potter (a relic of the past)
1908 (Presumed)
'Hush-a-by baby, on a tree top'
1908 (Presumed)
'Father's Hope and Mother's Joy'
1910 (Presumed)
Original Study of a Lion
1913 (Presumed)
Original Study of a Boy with Puppy Dog
1913 (Presumed)
Despair
1915 (Presumed)
The Late Captain Sir John Edward Fowler, Bart
1916 (Presumed)
Spring and Summer
1916 (Presumed)
Come Lasses and Lads
1927 (Presumed)
St Michael
1927 (Presumed)
Locations
Address 92 Freedom Road Hallam Sheffield England | View on map
1871 (Circa)
Living here with his parents and siblings
Address 120 Bell Hagg Road Sheffield England | View on map
1881 (Circa)
Living here with his wife and children
Address 20 Snowdon Street Higher Broughton Manchester England | View on map
1888 (Circa)
Address Clifton Villa Clifton Road Birmingham England | View on map
1889 (Circa) - 1895 (Circa)
Address 50 Clifton Road Sutton Coldfield Birmingham England | View on map
May 1893 - November 1893
Address Wills Road Sutton Coldfield England | View on map
1895 (Circa) - 1901 (Circa)
Wills Road is given in a number of sources, it may be a mis-spelling of While Road which is also given as an address for Creswick and still exists
Address Maney Sutton Coldfield Birmingham England | View on map
1896 (Circa) - December 1896
Address 26 Great Charles Street Birmingham England | View on map
1897 (Circa) - 1903 (Circa)
Address The Crescent Bromsgrove England | View on map
1899 (Presumed)
Address While Road Sutton Coldfield England | View on map
1899 - 1903 (Circa)
See note for Wills Road
Address Sunnyside Maney Sutton Coldfield England | View on map
1901 (Circa)
Address Dovedale Jockey Road Sutton Coldfield England | View on map
1905 (Circa)
Address Elm Wood Jockey Road Sutton Coldfield England | View on map
1913 (Circa) - 1916 (Circa)
Address Jockey Road Sutton Coldfield England | View on map
1915 (Circa) - 1927 (Circa)
Studio located at Elmwood Studios Sutton Coldfield England | View on map
1908 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: First Exhibition, 1888
'Haymaker and Man with scythe'
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Second Exhibition, 1889
'Sketch model in plaster of lions fighting'
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Sixth Exhibition, 1899
'Model for Toby Jug and Jam Jar'
Exhibited at The Sixty-Sixth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1892
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Sixty-Eighth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1894
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Sixty-Seventh Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Royal Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1893
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Thirtieth Spring Exhibition at the Rooms of the Royal Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1895
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Seventieth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1896
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Seventy-First Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1897
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Thirty-sixth Spring Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1901
'Cigar Box'
Exhibited at The Seventy-Fifth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1901
'Sketch Model: Bishop Vesey'
Exhibited at The Seventy-Sixth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1902
'The Late Cheng Keng Lei'
Exhibited at The Seventy-Ninth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1905
'Model Design'
Exhibited at The Seventy-Seventh Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1903
'The Late Alderman G. B. Lloyd'
Exhibited at The Forty-Third Spring Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1908
'The Old Potter (a relic of the past) '
Exhibited at The Eighty-Second Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1908-1909
''Hush-a-by baby, on a tree top''
Exhibited at The Eighty-Forth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1910-1911
''Father's Hope and Mother's Joy''
Exhibited at The Centenary Opening Exhibition (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1913
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists [Autumn] Exhibition, 1915
'Despair'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists [Autumn] Exhibition, 1916
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1927
'Come Lasses and Lads'
Exhibited at The Thirty-Fifth Spring Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1900
'The Enchantress'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1889
'Portrait Bust of the Late James Broughton'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1890
'Portrait Bust of the Late James Broughton'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1903
'A Rough Rider'
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fourteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1884
1884
Dr Richard Congreve (cat. no. 2225, terracotta, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the sixteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1886
1886
Abbe Liszt (cat. no. 1261, plaster, £0 5s.); S. Lee Bapty, Esq. (cat. no. 1264, plaster, £2 2s.).
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1888 - 1909
Exhibited 4 times, four works in all (Manly Pride: study of a smith at work, statuette, cat. no, 1984 (1888); The Young Footballer, statuette, cat. no. 1946 (1891); Cheng Keng Luie, statue, to be executed in bronze for the Engineer's institute, Penang, cat. no. 1725 (1903); and The Old Potter, statue, cat. no. 1658 (1909))
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the eighteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1888
1888
Bust of the late James Broughton, Esq., for nine years Chorus Master of the Leeds Musical Festivals (cat. no. 1377, £1 1s.); Bust of a Child, study from Life (cat. no. 1380, plaster, £2 2s.); Original Bust of Prof. Ruskin (cat. no. 1382, plaster, £1 1s.); Scythe Smith - Manly Pride (cat. no. 1386, plaster, £30); Statuette of the late W. E. Forster, Esq., MP (cat. no. 1393, plaster, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fifth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1895
1895
Samson and the Lion (cat. no. 1265, £100); S. H. Baker, Esq., Treasurer, Birmingham Society of Artists - Study of a Baby (cat. no. 1309, not for sale).
Exhibited at The Birmingham Art Circle. The Twenty-Seventh Exhibition of Oil and Water-Colour Paintings, 1896
November 1896 - 5 December 1896
Exhibited at The Birmingham Art Circle. The Thirtieth Exhibition of Oil and Water-Colour Paintings, 1899
1899
Exhibited at The Birmingham Art Circle. Thirty-First Exhibition of Oil and Water-Colour Paintings etc., 1900
October 1900
Exhibited: 'Stricken' (cat. no. 90, 15 guineas); 'The Village Blacksmith' (cat. no. 91, 10 guineas); 'The Novice' (cat. no. 92, 5 guineas); 'The Village Finder' (cat. no. 93); 'A Toiler of the Deep' (cat. no. 94, 5 guineas).
Exhibited at The Birmingham Art Circle. The Thirty-Third Exhibition, 1901
October 1901
Exhibited: 'Sea Dreams' (cat. no. 81, £2 2s.); 'Smiths at Work' (cat. no. 82, £2 2s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures & sculpture: the thirty-second (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1902
1902
A Rough Rider (cat. no. 1496, original design, equestrian group, £10 10s.).
Organized Exhibition of Sculptures (Midland Arts Club), 1907
19 March 1907
Taught Modelling Demonstrations (Midlands Art Club), 1890-1926
1890 - 1926
Lectured at these events
Institutional and Business Connections
Associate of Century Guild of Artists
1886 (Circa) - 1888
Elected professional associate member of Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1891 - 1916
The book 'The History of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists' (p. 51)dates Creswick's election as 1890; he is not listed in the exhibition catalogues as an Associate member until Spring 1891.
Elected professional member of Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1916 - 1927
First listed in the Society's Catalogues as full Member in Spring 1916.
Member of Birmingham Art Circle
January 1893 - December 1908
Creswick was nominated in 1891, but did not recieve enough votes (he recieved 20 votes) to be elected as a member in that year (1891-92). He was nominated again in 1892, recieved 26 votes, and was, therefore, elected in January 1893.
Member of The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society
1894 (Presumed) - 1899 (Presumed)
Professor of sculpture at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1894 - 1926
Listed in exhibition catalogues as 'Professor of Sculpture' from Autumn 1894 to Spring 1926.
Teacher of modeling at Birmingham Municipal School of Art, Central School
14 January 1889 - 1918
Head teacher of 'Modelling and Modelled Design' at the Central School of the Birmingham Municipal School of Art.
Listed as recieveing £300 per year in the Staff Book (c. 1900-1921); no dates for receipt of this salary are given.
Tutor at Midland Arts Club
1891 - 1926
Gave modelling demonstrations to members.
Worked for Bromsgrove Guild
1899
Carved wooden figures for the Unitarian Memorial Church, Wallasey, Cheshire, a Guild comission. See Townshend 'The Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts', in Watt 'The Bromsgrove Guild', (1999), p. 14.
Personal and Professional Connections
Collaborated with Arthur Heygate MackMurdo
Through the Century Guild and on specific projects such as a buffet designed by Mackmurdo with sculpture by Creswick in 1886
Mother/father/parent of Charles Creswick
Mother/father/parent of Benjamin Creswick jnr
1896
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Sculptor & Teacher of Art'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Sculptor & Teacher of Modelling Municipal School of Art Birmingham'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Sculptor & Teacher of Modelling' worker
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'Sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'Table Blade Grinder'
Sources
Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: List of Members, 1894
1894
Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: List of Members, 1897
1897
Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. List of Members, 1898
1898
Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. List of Members, 1899
1899
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the First Exhibition.
1888
pp.132-133, p.140, p.150, p.154, p.158, p.173.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the Second Exhibition.
1889
p.195, p.197, p.256, p.261.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the Sixth Exhibition.
1899
p.83, p.116, p.124.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fifth, 1895 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1895
pp. 47-50.
Autumn exhibition of pictures & sculpture: the thirty-second, 1902 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1902
pp. 42-47.
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the eighteenth, 1888 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1888
pp. 54-56.
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the sixteenth, 1886 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1886
pp. 79-80.
Birmingham Art Circle, Adjoined Annual Meeting, 20 January 1893 Birmingham Art Circle Minutes and Reports
20 January 1893
p. 2.
Birmingham Art Circle, Annual Meeting held 28 December 1891 Birmingham Art Circle Minutes and Reports
28 December 1891
p. 4.
Birmingham Art Circle, Meeting held at M. H. J. Newey's Studio, Carlton Chambers, Paradise Street, 20 April 1894 Birmingham Art Circle Minutes and Reports
20 April 1894
p. 1.
Birmingham Biography, Newspaper Cuttings, 1872-1966 Birmingham Biography
See 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 12, (1 December 1924-16 February 1926), p. 206 and vol. 38,(August 1945-August 1946), pp. 123-124 and p. 126.
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1889
1889
Cat. No. Case S, p. 90
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1890
1890
Cat. No. Case S, p. 101
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1903
1903
Cat. No. 546, pp. 55, 70
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 4664; Folio: 49; Page: 38; GSU roll: 847222.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
Class: RG11; Piece: 4624; Folio: 108; Page: 9; GSU roll: 1342117
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 2438 folio 74 page 14
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
Class: RG13; Piece: 2891; Folio: 158; Page: 14
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2011
RG14PN18372 RG78PN1104 RD385 SD6 ED1 SN13
City of Birmingham Education Committee School of Art Staff Book
1921 (Circa)
p. 26.
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2007
2007
Name: Benjamin Creswick
Birth Date: abt 1854
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1946
Age at Death: 92
Registration district: Sutton Coldfield
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 6d
Page: 785
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1884 Walker Art Gallery
1884
pp. 129-132.
Midland Arts Club. 1898 Midland Arts Club. Reports and Treasurer's Statements
1898
p. 2.
Midland Arts Club. Eight Annual Report of the Committee, for the year ending 31 December 1891 Midland Arts Club Reports and Treasurer's Statements
31 December 1891
p. 1.
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report, 1926 Midland Arts Club Reports
January 1927
p. 4.
Public Sculpture of Birmingham: Including Sutton Coldfield
Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, National Recording Project
1998
p. 189 and references to eleven works
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Exhibition, 1915 [Autumn] Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1915
p. 31.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Exhibition, 1916 [Autumn] Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1916
p. 28.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Exhibition, 1916 [Spring] Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1916
p. 3.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Seventy-Seventh Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street, 1903
1903
pp. 59-60.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Sixty-Eighth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street, 1894
1894
pp. 1, 67 (821, 824, 825)
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1927
1927
p. 14.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1926
1926
p. 2.
Staff Book
1908 (Circa)
p. 16.
The Art Circle, Birmingham, 1899, Annual Report Birmingham Art Circle
1899
The Art Circle, Birmingham. Annual Report, 1905 Birmingham Art Circle
1905
The Art Circle, Birmingham. Annual Report, 1906 Birmingham Art Circle
1906
The Art Circle, Birmingham. Annual Report, 1907 Birmingham Art Circle
1907
The Art Circle, Birmingham. Annual Report, 1908 Birmingham Art Circle
1908
The Art Circle, Register of Members to Date, 1879-2002 Birmingham Art Circle
2002 (Presumed)
Unpaged.
The Bromsgrove Guild. An Illustrated History, 1999
1999
p. 14 and p. 53.
The Thirty-Seventh Exhibition of Oil and Water-Colour Paintings etc., held at The Graves' Gallery, 44 Cherry Street, 1905 Birmingham Art Circle Exhibition Catalogues
October 1905
p. 24.
Citing this record
'Benjamin Creswick', 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=msib4_1202748858, accessed 26 Sep 2023]
