British artists' suppliers, 1650-1950

A selective directory, to be revised and expanded regulary, 1st edition June 2006, 2nd edition May 2008 (*entry revised, **new entry)
Contributions are welcome, to Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.
Resources and bibliography

Nathaniel Lionel Nathan 1881, Nathaniel Lionel Nathan & Co 1882-1883, Lionel Nathan & Co 1884-1900, Lionel Nathan & Co Ltd 1901-1904. At 5a Diana Place, Euston Road, London 1881-1887, 6 Diana Place 1888-1904. Artists' canvas manufacturers and colourmen.

Lionel Nathan & Co advertised in The Year's Art as 'English and French Artists' Canvas Manufacturers and Colourmen, trademark Kangaroo', listing prepared canvases by size and price, mill boards and academy boards (1884, and subsequently), advertising oil colours in collapsible tubes (1888-98), 'Aprés Vous' artists' canvas boards (1897-8), 'Nathan's Artist Canvas Hand Made on Hand Made Linen', offering a sample book (1901). Their factory was located in Diana Place, off Euston Road, close to that of Rowney.

This business was perhaps a successor to Joseph Nathan who was supplying canvas from 7 St Swithin's Lane EC in the early 1870s (information from Cathy Proudlove) and who was listed as a picture dealer at this address in 1871. Joseph Nathan was listed at 39 Clifton Gardens in the 1881 census as Dealer in Fine Arts, age 43 (IGI). His canvas mark has been recorded, 1871.

*Robert R. Nelson 1840-1846, 1853-1876 (not listed 1847-1852), Alfred Nelson 1877-1904, Alfred Nelson & Son 1904-1918 or later. At 32 Nicolson St, Edinburgh 1840-1846, 27 South Hanover St by 1853-1867, 19 South Hanover St 1868-1901 or later, 37 South Hanover St by 1903-1918 or later. Stationers, booksellers, printsellers, artists' colourmen, carvers and gilders.

Robert R. Nelson advertised in 1853 that he had just received from Mr Newman, Soho Square, London, 'a complete assortment of his Water Colours, in Moist and Hard Cakes; Brushes, both Sable and Hog Tools, and Drawing Pencils', also advertising as an agent for Roberson's oil tube colours (Caledonian Mercury 23 June 1853).

The Nelson business had an account with Roberson, 1853-1908, initially trading as Robert R. Nelson, and subsequently as Alfred Nelson, Mrs A. Nelson & Son and A. Nelson & Son (Woodcock 1997). Robert Renton Nelson (c.1816-99) was listed in the 1851 census at 106 Elm Tree Cottage, Causewayside, Edinburgh, as age 35, with wife Frances, age 31; the entry is difficult to decipher but he appears to be listed as a clerk (printseller and artist colourman), suggesting that he was not then in business independently. His death, listing him as an artists' colourman, was recorded in 1899 (Scottish Documents).

Alfred Nelson, Robert Renton Nelson's nephew, took over the business in 1877 (Edinburgh Gazette 22 May 1877). He died in 1904, the business being carried on by 'Son Thomas Nelson and Mrs Nelson' (Roberson ledgers, see Woodcock 1997). In 1913 it was listed as trading as Alfred Nelson & Son, printsellers, picture restorers, picture framemakers, carvers & gilders and artists' colourmen, claiming to have been established in 1841.

Nelson's canvas stamp can be found on Joseph Noel Paton's The Indian Boy's Mother, said to date to c.1849, with 27 Hanover St address (Christie's 22 November 2006 lot 227) and Joseph Farquharson's Cottage in a rural landscape, c.1871 (Christie's, Edinburgh, 27 October 2005 lot 94, also bearing a Roberson label).

G. & I. Newman, Little Chelsea, later at Bridge Row, Ranelagh, Chelsea c.1786. Colour makers.

Trade card, with added manuscript date 1786, advertising as 'G and I. NEWMAN, COLOUR MAKER'S,/ And Preparers of Superfine Water Colours, Superior to any ever yet Invented/ in this Kingdom, & warranted to Stand on Paper, Silks &c, &c for/ a Century from 7s/6d to 5 Guineas Pr. Box. Also make Blue and Green/ Verditer. Likewise beg to Recommend their much Approved Trans/ parent Yellow Lake, Crayon Pencils Equal to the Swiss. Liquid/ Colours in Bottles, Indian Ink of the finest Quality,/ all kinds of Colours Oil or Water may be had/ Wholesale & Retale & 20Pr. Cent cheaper than in/ London, at their Manufac.ry Little Chelsea (amended in pen to:) Bridge Row Ranelagh/ NB their Prepar'd Colours in Boxes may be had/ in every Principal Town throughout England' (Banks coll. 89.25).

No connection is known between this business and that of James Newman.

*James Newman 1784-1933, James Newman Ltd 1933-1959. At Gerrard St, London by 1784, 17 Gerrard St 1785-1801, 24 Soho Square 1801-1937, 33 Soho Square 1937-1938, 6 Great Marlborough St 1938-1940, 178 Kensington High St, W8 1941-1959. Factory in George Yard, rear of Soho Square 1800-1937. Artists' colourmen.

One of the leading businesses of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Early trade cards, dating to the period from 1785, establish James Newman (d.1835) as successor to Lawrence Smith (qv) of Princes St, who was possibly his grandfather. These trade cards specify his product range (see below), including colours made by Reeves. Newman, or more probably his father, apparently also named James, is known to have been active as a 'pencil maker' from Princes St, Leicester Fields as early as 1774 when one of the artists exhibiting at the Society of Artists annual exhibition, the engraver, Monsieur Letteret, gave this as his address in the exhibition catalogue.

James Newman, pencil maker, was in business at 17 Gerrard St by the time he took out an insurance policy on 25 June 1785 (Guildhall Library: Records of Sun Fire Office, vol.328, no.506170). Initially, he shared his premises with Dedric Smith, coach lantern maker, possibly a relative. In 1784 Newman was listed in Gerrard St as brushmaker (Bailey's Western Midlands directory), in 1785 as hair pencil maker and dealer in colours (Bailey's British directory) and in 1789 as pencil maker and colourman, a description which was repeated on his very elegant trade sheet designed and engraved in stipple by G. Vitalba and published 24 January 1794 (Banks coll. 89.24; later example with Soho Square address, 1803, Heal coll. 89.106). In 1801 he advertised his removal to 24 Soho Square (Morning Chronicle 25 April 1801). By about 1800 or 1801 George Blackman (qv) was advertising with the claim that he had been tutor to James Newman. James Newman took out further insurance policies at 24 Soho Square, and sometimes for adjacent properties, from 1809 to 1831 (Guildhall Library: Records of Sun Fire Office, vols 328, 448, 453, 465, 476, 483, 488, 493, 509, 516, 528).

In 1787, he advertised 'colours in cakes, pots, bladders, and spirits, which will be found superior to any yet offered; also makes and sells fine soft crayons, hair, black lead, and crayon pencils, and every other article for drawing' (The Times 5 May 1787).

James Newman was one of three businesses singled out in 1811 by the drawing master and flower and landscape painter, John Cart Burgess, as having brought watercolours to the greatest perfection, the other two being Reeves & Woodyer and Smith, Warner & Co (qv) (John Cart Burgess, A Practical Essay on the Art of Flower Painting, 1811, p.32). 'In my opinion', Burgess wrote, 'Mr Newman may justly claim a pre-eminence over all other colormen', singling out certain colours made by Newman as peculiarly excelling those of other manufacturers: Red Lake, Indian Red, finest Ultramarine, English Smalt ('never ground sufficiently fine for use, except by Mr. Newman'), Antwerp Blue, Gamboge, Indian Yellow, Constant White ('the only one that I have found durable'), Sepia and Vandyke Brown. In the same year, 1811, another commentator, Paul Sandby's biographer, while attributing the improvement in watercolours to John Middleton (qv), described them as 'now brought to so great perfection by Reeves, Newman, and others' (Monthly Magazine 1 June 1811, see Burlington Magazine, vol.88, 1946, p.146).

Newman's colours were stocked by William Jones (qv) before 1819, by Zanetti & Agnew in Manchester, 1822 (Pigot & Co's Lancashire directory) and by Robert Hamilton in Edinburgh in 1824 (The Scotsman 29 December 1824). Newman supplied pigment samples to George Field (Harley 1979 pp.79-81; colour samples repr. Harley 1982 pl.2, 3), and subscribed to Field's Chromatography, 1835 (Carlyle 2001 p.18 n.25). As to Newman's suppliers, the business had an account with Roberson, 1820-1908 (Woodcock 1997), and made large and repeated payments to Lewis Berger (qv) (Berger 1910 p.10, referring to Newman's now lost bill books). A framed sign in gouache in the Museum of London is evidence of an appointment to the Princess of Wales, presumably dating to about 1815.

A dispute with Henry Joseph, a rival firm situated at 14 Soho Square close to Newman's premises, led to an assault and prosecution in 1840 (The Scotsman 21 October 1840); Joseph's business at 14 Soho Square was on the market in 1848 (The Times 29 November 1848).

James Newman, the founder of the business, died in 1835, leaving a very lengthy will in which he referred to his son James (PCC wills). This son is presumably the James Newman who was recorded at 26 Soho Square in the 1831 census, as a colourman, age 26, together with Richard Newman, age 19, also a colourman. The partnership between James Newman and Richard William Newman, trading as James Newman at 24 Soho Square, was dissolved on 31 December 1849 (London Gazette 18 October 1850). The later history of the business is described below.

Newman's early product range and links with artists: Newman's trade card, with added manuscript date 1785, advertised his business as 'NEWMAN,/ Successor to Mr. Smith,/ N.17, Gerrard Street/ SOHO./ Pencil & Brush/ MAKER./ NB Reeves's Colours/ Black Lead Pencils' (Banks coll. 89.24, repr. Staples 1984 p.15). A slightly later card, reproduced as frontispiece to various 20th-century Newman catalogues, advertised, 'Painting /JAMES NEWMAN,/ No. 17 Gerrard Street, Soho, London./ Successor to the late Mr. Lawrence Smith/ respectfully acquaints the lovers of the polite Art, the Public in general,/ that he prepares and sells,/ Colours in Cakes, Pots, Bladders & Spirits, single or in Boxes compleat/ for Oil & Water, also fine soft Crayons, Hair Black lead, and Crayon/ Pencils, Badger, Fitch, Hog, and Camel hair tools, which he flatters/ himself are superior to any yet offered, being all manufactured under/ his immediate inspection./ Likewise all sorts of Drawing paper, Italian, French & English Chalks,/ Easels, Pallets, Knives, dry Colours of all kinds, curious Saucers for Colours./ and every other Article for Drawing & Painting.' (Heal coll. 89.105); the wording of this trade card is followed, in abbreviated form, in a newspaper advertisement of 1787 (The Times 5 May 1787).

The business dealt with many well-known artists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was used by Richard Cosway, who ordered a particular blue pigment 'from old Newman' (George Williamson, Richard Cosway, R.A. and his Wife and Pupils, 1897, p.91) and by Richard Wilson (T. Wright, Some Account of the Life of Richard Wilson, Esq R.A., 1824, p.75, but note that Wilson died in 1782). Both Cosway and Wilson may have dealt with Newman's father. Newman provided anecdotes on Wilson to George Field (Gage 2001 p.65 n.38). Other early customers included Francis Wheatley, who was in debt to Newman in 1797 (Farington vol.3, p.860), and the 3rd Earl of Egremont, 1800-2 (Petworth House Archives PHA/7558, 8024, 8064, 10491).

Newman's customers in the first half of the 19th century included the miniaturist, John Smart who purchased materials to the value of £19.8s.8d, 1803-8 (Foskett 1964 p.35), Samuel De Wilde who purchased pencils and paper in August 1810 (typescript of De Wilde diary, 1810-11, National Portrait Gallery), George Chinnery who remarked on the nature of Newman's Vermilion, 1814 (Harley 1982 p.128), J.M.W. Turner who wrote ordering canvas and powder colours in 1827 (A.J. Finberg, The Life of J.M.W. Turner, R.A., 2nd ed., Oxford 1961, p.303; Gage 1980 p.108), John Linnell who mentions Newman's as early as 1817 (Linnell 1994 p.42), and ordered a range of artists' materials including colours, according to an account for £2.17s.4d dated 16 September 1825 (John Linnell Archive, Fitzwilliam Museum), Thomas Uwins who requested cakes of burnt umber and lamp black to be sent out to him at Naples in 1827 (Uwins 1858 p.391), Andrew Plimer, who had a few Newman colours in his studio at his death in 1837 (George Williamson, Andrew & Nathaniel Plimer, 1903, p.67), and Samuel Palmer who was a regular customer, describing Newman's in 1865 as 'a most reliable place for watercolours' (Lister 1974 p.735); he wrote from Rome in 1838 requesting Linnell to obtain cakes of Newman's orange vermilion mat (Lister 1974 pp.114, 119) and between 1857 and 1872 mentioned their thick imperial white paper in his correspondence, as well as various boards including London Board, sketchbooks of whity-brown paper and cedar colour-boxes (Lister 1974 pp.525, 527, 652, 735, 864).

Much later Newman's advertised that they had been supplying various artists for over 150 years, amongst others Constable, Cotman, David Cox, Creswick, Crome, De Wint, Etty, Copley Fielding, Hoppner, Pugin, Turner and Varley (Who's Who in Art 1934, information from Cathy Proudlove). William Etty's watercolour box in the Royal Academy collection contains a few Newman watercolour cakes as well as numerous made by Winsor & Newton (exh. From Academy to Arcadia: Studies of the Nude by William Etty RA and Thomas Stothard RA, Royal Academy, 2005, case 5a, see An introduction and guide to the display).

The mid and later 19th century: The 19th-century history of the James Newman business remains to be traced in detail. At the end of the century, W.F. Mills was described as Newman's 'present proprietor' in a book on the history of Soho (J.H. Cardwell, Two Centuries of Soho: its institutions, firms and amusements, 1898, p.160). William Frederick Mills (c.1820/6-1900) appears in censuses as born in London, living in Chelsea, in 1881 as a colourman, age 55, and in 1891 as an artist's colour manufacturer, age 68. He died on 2 January 1900 (London Gazette 20 March 1900), reportedly at the age of 80, in the Chelsea registration district (BMD).

Newman's products were widely traded in the mid-19th century. In Edinburgh their watercolours were stocked by Alexander Hill (qv), and subsequently by Robert R. Nelson (qv), according to his newspaper advertisement in 1853, and by Marsh and Beattie (qv), who advertised a wide range of Newman products in their trade catalogue of about 1853. In the United States their products were stocked by Bourne's Depository of Arts, New York (trade catalogue, 1830, see Katlan 1992 p.314), Edward Dechaux, New York (trade catalogue, 1860, see Katlan 1992 p.321) and Goupil & Co, New York (trade catalogues, 1854, 1857, see Katlan 1992 pp.347, 349).

Newman published very occasional instruction manuals, which included catalogues of their products, for example, The Principles and Practice of Harmonious Colours Especially as Applied to Photographs on Paper, Glass, and Canvas, 1859 (copy in British Library, 787.d.58). Some of these catalogues may be viewed using Google book search. The business advertised in The Year's Art: 'The "Slow Drying" Moist Colours, for the field or the studio' (1880), later described as 'Slow-Drying Tube Moist Water Colours' (1883), 'Black and White. The most brilliant Black with Body Colour for Process Work' (1895), a new drawing paper for artists and artists' watercolour tablets (1896), and 'useful new shades in Hand-made Tinted Paper for Water Colour Painting' (1914).

A large number of Newman marks have been recorded on boards and canvases from the 1850s onwards. An example from the 1850s is a work by Boyce, 1857, stencilled on a prepared board (information from Cathy Proudlove). Examples from the 1880s include George Reid's Sir Henry Frere, 1881 (National Portrait Gallery), John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott, 1888 (Tate), Charles Napier Kennedy's Neptune, 1889 (Walker Art Gallery, see Morris 1996) and Yeend King's From Green to Gold, exh.1889 (Walker Art Gallery, see Morris 1996). John Brett recorded using Newman's colours, 1884-1892 (Lowry 2001 p.40).

From the 1890s and subsequently, Charles Wellington Furse's John Murray, c.1891 (National Portrait Gallery), Walter Sickert's George Holyoake, exh.1892 (National Portrait Gallery), Arthur Tomson's Piping down the Valleys Wild, exh.1892 (Walker Art Gallery, see Morris 1996), John Singer Sargent's Mannikin in the Snow, c.1891-3 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, see Katlan 1987 p.283), Frederick Sandys's James R. Bulwer, 1894 (Inner Temple, London, see Elzea 2001 pp.280, 340), Philip Wilson Steer's The Toilet of Venus, 1898 (Tate), The Falls, Richmond, Yorkshire, 1903 (National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, see Payne 2007 p.51) and Painswick Beacon, 1915 (Tate, see Hackney 1999 p.126). As well as using Newman's canvas, John Singer Sargent used a sketchbook supplied by Newman, 1918 (Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge see Stewart 2000 p.34), and appears to have used Newman moist colours in tubes; eight out of 15 colours surviving in his studio were supplied by Newman (Marjorie B. Cohn, Wash and gouache: a study of the development of the materials of watercolor, Fogg Art Museum, 1977, p.66).

The 20th century: A glimpse of the business in 1934 towards the end of its life may be had from an article, 'Grinding Colours by Hand', describing the shop and the factory to the rear (The Times 24 August 1934). On entering one found, 'the counter, bearing pyramids of sketch-books and sheaves of brushes', and 'a monster paint box built of ebony and inlaid silver for the Crystal Palace Exhibition', in the back premises, 'Stacks of dusty China palettes endless reams of paper', and in the factory, made up of washing-room, grinding-room, drying-room and filling-room, 'every process necessary to the preparing of artists' colours was being done by hand'.

The firm held royal appointments to Edward VII 1901-10, George V 1921-4 and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 1950 (Katlan 1992 p.461). The business was carried on as a partnership between Edward Frederick Chapman and Charles Osborn Cooper, trading as James Newman, until this partnership was dissolved in 1933 and the business transferred to James Newman Ltd (London Gazette 25 April 1933). It is said to have been purchased by Reeves, 1936, and its identity retained (Goodwin 1966 p.43). It was obliged to move from 24 Soho Square when the building was demolished in 1937 and then to move again in August 1938 to allow for expansion, according to their trade catalogue which included a photograph of the demolished premises together with views of the workshops (Catalogue. Artists' Colour Manufacturers, c.1938, 99pp). By 1941 it was trading from Reeves's premises at 178 Kensington High St. Newman's was advertising from this address in 1951, as was Reeves (The Artist, vol.41, May 1951), but the premises were rebranded as Clifford Milburn Ltd (qv) by 1960.

In a trade catalogue of c.1905-8, Newman's advertised a wide range of products under their own name, and also pencils of English and continental manufacturer, made by various firms, French figures in walnut on articulated skeletons, various English and French drawing papers etc (Artists' Color Manufacturer. Catalogue, 151pp, copy in British Library, 7871.ee.18). The main items featured in Newman catalogues of c.1910 and c.1950 have been listed elsewhere (Katlan 1992 pp.352-3). In the 1930s, the firm advertised the ideal easel for outdoor painting and Newman's own best make tripod stool (The Artist, vol.7, June 1934). 'We grind our colours by hand', reads an advertisement with four illustrations of the process (Art Review 1935).

Marked supports from the 1900s to the 1940s include Arthur Cope's Sir William Harcourt, 1904, William Rothenstein's William Michael Rossetti, c.1909, and John Cooke's Marquess Curzon, 1914 or after (all National Portrait Gallery), Ambrose McEvoy's Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, 1919 (Christie's South Kensington 6 September 2006 lot 75), Dora Carrington's Julia Strachey, 1925 (Sotheby's 28 June 2006 lot 9) and Paul Nash's The Archer (Southampton Art Gallery), Encounter of Two Objects, 1937 (Christie's South Kensington 15 November 2006 lot 97), Totes Meer (Dead Sea), 1940-1 (Tate) and Landscape of the Moon's First Quarter, 1943 (Private collection). There are papers relating to the supply of canvas and oil canvas paper to Nash, 1940, in the Tate Gallery Archive (TGA 7050/887-894). Other customers included Gluck who obtained tubes of hand-ground oil paints from Newman's, 1913-36 (Souhami 2000 p.258), and Edward Bawden, who used their watercolour paints (see Robert E. Wynne-Jones, A Historical Investigation into the Watercolour Paper and Pigments used by Official and Unofficial British War Artists during the Second World War, IIC poster 2002).

Sources: James Newman, trade catalogues; Katlan 1992 pp.352-3. A Newman recipe book for period 1882-1929, not consulted, is housed in Winsor & Newton's archive (Carlyle 2001 p.94 n.9). In 1910 Newman's bill books, now lost, were used in compiling a history of Lewis Berger (qv) (Berger 1910 p.10). In 1913 the company responded to an inquiry from W.S. Whitley to say that they had several of the firm's books from 1800 but those previous to that year were not in existence (Whitley papers vol.3, p.303). As late as 1953, sufficient of Newman's papers were in existence for details to be extracted as to materials purchased by the miniaturist, John Smart, 1803-8 (see above and Foskett 1964 p.35).

Robert Norie, see Taylor & Norrie

Norman, 1797. Colourman.

Norman promised to sign for the artist Francis Wheatley, who was in debt, 1797 (Farington vol.3, p.862).

*James L. Norton 1843, James S. Norton 1846, Mrs Elizabeth Norton 1850-1915 or later, Norton Artists' Supply Ltd by 1920-1930 or later, not listed 1935. At 119 New St, Birmingham 1843, 118 New St 1846-1858, 104 New St 1858-1863, 84 New St 1863-1866, 29 Paradise St 1866-1920 or later, 199 Broad St by 1925-1930 or later. Initially printsellers, then primarily artists' materials suppliers.

James Lansdown Norton (c.1803-1848) married Betty Spencer in Birmingham in 1829. He was listed in New St in the 1841 census as a printseller, age 38, with wife Elizabeth, age 39, and four children. As a print seller of Birmingham, he was made bankrupt in 1847 (London Gazette 9 November 1847). He died the following year. Elizabeth Norton, his widow, then took on this Birmingham printselling and artists' materials business, and seems to have been followed by her three daughters, Sarah (b.1837), Marianne (b.1838) and Eleanor (b.1847/8). Elizabeth Norton was trading as a printseller in 1852 and as an artists' repository in 1858, a description still used for the business as late as 1912. The business moved premises several times, as it advertised, in 1858 to 104 New St as a consequence of the demolition of 118 New St, in 1863 to 84 New St, referring to its stock of artists' drawing and sketching materials, fancy and general stationery, and to framing and glazing, and then in 1866 to 29 Paradise St (Birmingham Daily Post 5 May 1858, 27 June 1863, 6 March 1866).

The business had an account with Roberson, under the name of Mrs E. Norton, 118 New St 1855, later trading as Mrs Norton 1869-1908 (Woodcock 1997); the Roberson accounts note that E. Norton was the trading name of an 'Artists' Materials & Stationery' partnership, between Marianne Norton, Sarah Gough and Eleanor Bruckshaw, which was dissolved in 1888, but continued under the same name by Gough and Bruckshaw (London Gazette 7 February 1888). In the 1901 census Sarah Gough, age 64, was listed at 29 Paradise St as artists material dealer, with husband Francis Gough, age 66, printers compositor, and daughter Sarah, age 24, assistant in her mother's business and a son age 21. Eleanor Bruckshaw withdrew from the partnership in 1906 (London Gazette 10 July 1906). Sarah Gough died in 1916 (London Gazette 11 July 1916).

Several marks and labels have been recorded, one dated 1903.

It is worth noting that James Lansdown Norton's grandson, also James Lansdown Norton, founded the Norton Manufacturing Company for motorcycles in 1898.

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