British picture framemakers, 1750-1950

A selective directory, to be revised and expanded annually. 1st edition November 2007. Contributions are welcome, to Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk. Cross-references to other makers are indicated by adding '(qv)' after the relevant name. Bibliography and resources.

Henry Eade, see William Saunders

Henry George Eckford, see British picture restorers, forthcoming

John Eckford 1811-1828, John Eckford & Son 1826-1828, Charles J. Eckford 1826-1843. At 17 Water Lane (or Water St), Bridewell Precinct, London 1811-1834, 48 Lothbury 1826-1828, 23 Fleet St 1833-1834, 45 Fleet St 1835-1843. Carvers and gilders, picture framemakers, picture dealers and restorers.

This business carried on over two generations. It was founded by John Eckford (d.1840), who took his son, Charles John Eckford (c.1790-1845), into a short-lived partnership in the mid-1820s, before the son took on the business. Another son, Henry George Eckford (c.1807-1893), traded as a picture dealer (see above). Another individual, also named John Eckford, probably unrelated, traded as a carver and gilder in the Soho area from about 1838 (see below).

John Eckford is possibly the printseller listed at Crown Court, Salisbury Square in 1802. John Eckford took out insurance with the Sun Fire Office on 17 Water Lane, Brideswell Precinct, later described as 17 Water St, New Bridge St, as carver and gilder and picture framemaker, on six occasions from 1814 to 1832. He also insured other properties (DEFM). In 1825, he attended a meeting of more than fifty master carvers and gilders who resolved to resist the demands of journeymen for an increase in wages (The Times 30 June 1825). Eckford was also active as an art dealer: in an illuminating case in the Court of Exchequer, he was prosecuted for illegally importing foreign pictures (The Times 12 July 1824).

By 1826 the business was operating as John Eckford & Son but two years later the partnership between John and his son, Charles John, as carvers, gilders and picture dealers, of Water St, was dissolved (London Gazette 12 December 1828), with Charles John carrying on the business. In his lengthy will dated 5 June and proved 29 October 1840, John Eckford, gentleman of Panton Place, Walworth, referred to his various freeholds and a leasehold, appointing as executors his son, Henry George Eckford, picture dealer, and his son-in-law, George Gull.

Charles John Eckford and his wife, Maria, had several children, including Edwin (1826-1900) and Frederick. He was listed in the 1841 census as a carver, age 45 (ages were rounded down to the nearest five years in this census), with sons Frederick and Edwin, age 15. He was imprisoned for debt in 1843 (London Gazette 10 November and 12 December 1843). His death at Liverpool was announced in 1850, naming him as Charles Eckford, late of Fleet Street, age 55 (The Times 23 February 1850).

Like Charles M'Lean (qv), who operated from a few doors further along at 15 Fleet St, Charles John Eckford advertised extensively, offering to clean and restore old paintings and to supply rich ornamented picture frames at very similar prices to M'lean (The Art-Union March 1840 p.47, May 1840 p.87; see Simon 1996 p.137). He offered a printed 'Sheet of Drawings with numerous elegant Patterns', which would be sent anywhere in the country (example, 1840, British Museum, Dept of Prints and Drawing, I & J Smith/British XIXc Imp., repr. British Museum - Search object image. He claimed that the business had been established in 1792 (The Art-Union January 1842 p.18), perhaps referring to his father's business.

Sources: DEFM; Guildhall Library: Records of Sun Fire Office, vols 461, 480, 487, 491, 531.

John Eckford 1838-1874. At 9 Little Compton St, Soho 1838-1839, 59 Greek St 1840-1847, not listed 1848-1850, 8 Rose St, Soho 1851-1874. Carver and gilder, framemaker, picture dealer and restorer.

John Eckford (c.1801-1867) was born in Scotland and appears to be unrelated to the John Eckford who died in 1840 (see above). In the 1841 census Eckford was listed as a carver and gilder, living in Somers Town, in 1851 as a master carver and gilder employing three men, born in Scotland, age 49, living in Camden Town with nine children including a son, John, age 20, also a carver and gilder, in 1861 as age 60, living in Kentish Town with two sons James Robert, age 22, and Jeffrey, age 18, both carvers and gilders. He would appear to be the individual of this name who died in the Pancras registration district age 66 in 1867. However, directory listings at 8 Rose St continue to give John Eckford until 1874, after which he was replaced by James Robert Eckford.

William Emmett. A candidate for a proposed supplement to this Directory, to include framemakers active before 1750. Contact Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.

Jordan & Evans 1801-1809, Evans & Jordan 1814-1825, Jordan & Evans 1822-1825, William Evans 1825-1850, William & Philip Evans 1851-1907. At 18 Silver St, Golden Square, London 1801-1883, renamed and renumbered 1883, 37 Beak St, Regent St 1884-1907. Carvers and gilders, later also picture restorers.

This business was carried on throughout the 19th century, firstly by William Evans in partnership with Nathaniel John Jordan (qv), then on his own, then by his two sons, William and Philip, most notably working for the Marquess of Hertford, and then into the third generation.

According to their late 19th century frame label, the business was established in 1798 (information from Edgar Harden). William Evans took out insurance with the Sun Fire Office on 18 Silver St, jointly with Nathaniel John Jordan, in January 1801 and January 1805, and the two men took out separate policies on the premises in 1819. The partnership was variously described as Jordan & Evans and Evans & Jordan. The partnership between Jordan and Evans at 18 Silver St was dissolved in January 1825 (London Gazette 11 January 1825), when Jordan moved to Charlotte St. William Evans, carver, gilder and picture framemaker, took out insurance on 18 Silver St with the Sun Fire Office in 1829. The business was also renting 8 and 9 Silver St at £35 a year in 1865 (The Times 15 February 1865).

In the next generation, it is easier to trace Philip Evans than his brother, William Evans. Philip Evans (b. c.1812), his son, Philip William Evans (c.1834-1894?), and his grandson, Philip J. Evans (b. c.1865), were all listed in census records, primarily as picture restorers. In 1851 father and son were living in Lambeth, in 1861 at 14 Leicester St, Westminster, in 1871 the father was living on the business premises at 18 Silver St and was additionally described as a framemaker, and in 1881 the father was no longer listed and the son, Philip William was now included with his own son, Philip J. Evans, age 16, already listed as a cleaner and restorer. In 1891 Philip William was living on the business premises at 37 Beak St and in 1901 he cannot be traced (he probably died in 1894), but his son Philip J. Evans was listed as a picture restorer at Nidd Hall, Yorkshire, where he was perhaps working. The business was followed at 37 Beak St in 1910 by H.J. Spiller.

William Henry Evans (b. c.1828) was listed with Philip William Evans at 18 Silver St in 1876 (London Gazette 26 February 1876). He appears in the 1881 census at 20 Elizabeth St as a framemaker, age 53, employing five men and one boy.

At Hertford House the 4th Marquess had almost a hundred pictures reframed in the late 1850s by W. & P. Evans using a standard fluted pattern with large acanthus mitre leaves somewhat in the French manner. Evans's bills are dated April 1857 and February 1859; the later bill includes a credit for the sale of old frames (Simon 1996 p.202).

Sources: DEFM, quoting Sun Fire Office records (Guildhall Library, vols 419 no.712742, 431 no.772317, 483 no.962590, 521); John Ingamells, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Pictures vol.I: British, German, Italian, Spanish, 1985, p.432, quoting Evans's invoice for making 75 fluted frames for pictures at Manchester House.

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