Giovanni Ferdinando Franchi
Born 1812 (Circa)
Died 6 November 1874
Active: 1834 - 1874
Country of birth: Italy
Country of death: England
Manufacturer in plaster, electrotype casting, fictile ivory
Born in Lucca, naturalised British citizen. Died at 18 Duncan Terrace, Islington, London. Giovanni Ferdinand established a successful firm of plaster cast figure makers, manufacturers of fictile ivories and of electrotypes. Between about 1851 (or earlier) and 1870 his only surviving son, Giovanni Antonio (Ferdinand) also worked for the business. His early death in 1870 (at the age of about 38) meant there was no immediate family member to continue the firm. It is presumed that this was one of the reasons that Giovanni Franchi and Son was acquired by Elkington & Co in 1874.
The death of Giovanni Ferdinand was reported in the Journal of the Society of Arts: 'Giovanni Franchi the well known artist in electrotype... was a native of Lucca in Tuscany: he settled in this country nearly forty years ago. In 1846 he was rewarded by this Society for the production of casts in fictile ivory. He was the first person in this country that cast from gelatine composition moulds and he carried his process to a high state of perfection a year or two later, and perfected the means of casting from the round in moulds without seams, and thus laid the foundation for the production of the elaborate electro deposits richly undercut and in relief, for which he afterwards became so celebrated.'
The notice also lists some of his chief works reproduced in electrotype: '...the large bronze sockets for flagstaff's in the Piazza of St Mark Venice, statuettes of our Saviour and St John from the originals in the Cathedral of Pisa, also two pair of gates one known as the Porta di San Banieri in the Cathedral of Pisa and the other the Ghiberti Gates from the Baptistry of Florence. The whole of the royal plate from the Tower of London was also reproduced including the baptismal font, the royal wine fountain, and sceptre of Ann Boleyn. The royal plate from Windsor Castle was reproduced and also works of art from Knowle Park belonging to the Earl De la Warr... His casts in plaster are unrivalled; two of the specimens are in the South Kensington Museum, and consist of a reproduction of the pulpits from the Cathedrals of Pisa and Florence.' [Journal of the Society of Arts, 20 November 1874, p. 2]
Wealth at death: £4,000 0s. 0d.
Probate date: 26 November 1874
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.
Henry VIII
1851
Charles I
1851
William I
1851
Queen Elizabeth
1851
Locations
Address 15 Myddleton Street London | View on map
1851 (Circa) - 1871 (Circa)
In 1851 Lazzaro Baldera and Giovanni Bartoli from Lucca, Italy, also resident at this address
Address 18 Duncan Terrace Islington London | View on map
1874
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations (London), 1851
1851
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'Electro depositor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
'Caster of Plaster Composition'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
'Electrotypist'
Occupation given in London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
1855
'Artist' also his son Giovanni Antonio Franchi, 'Artist'
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-f.php (accessed 12 April 2011)
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
2005
Class: HO107; Piece: 1519; Folio: 259; Page: 11; GSU roll: 87853
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861
2005
Class: RG9; Piece: 199; Folio: 72; Page: 5; GSU roll: 542590
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 395; Folio: 34; Page: 17; GSU roll: 824623
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915
2006
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec;
Age at Death: 63; District: Islington;
Volume: 1b; Page: 238
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Giovanni Franchi
Probate Date: 27 Nov 1874
Death Date: 6 Nov 1874
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: Principal Registry
Journal of the Society of Arts, Vol XXIII, 1874-1875
1875
p. 2 (accessed 9 May 2010)
London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
2010
Name: Giovanni Antonio Franchi
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1832
Spouse Name: Sarah Maria Ullmer
Spouse Age: 19
Record Type: Marriage
Marriage Date: 26 Jul 1855
Parish: St Andrew, Barnsbury
County: Middlesex
Borough: Islington
Father Name: Giovanni Ferdinando Franchi
Spouse Father Name: Frederick Ullmer
Citing this record
'Giovanni Ferdinando Franchi', 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=msib7_1206614685, accessed 10 Jun 2023]