British picture restorers, 1630-1950 - D

Robert Davy by 1811-1843, Charles Davy 1843-1863. At 16 Wardour St, London by 1811-1823, 83 Newman St 1822-1862, 85 Newman St 1863. Artists' colourmen, carvers and gilders.

Robert Davy was listed as a picture restorer in directories in 1819 and 1827. See British artists’ suppliers on the National Portrait Gallery website.

John de Critz, Shoe Lane, St Andrew's Holborn, London by 1607-c.1637, St Martin's Lane c.1637-1642. Sergeant Painter, gilder, picture restorer.

John de Critz (c.1552-1642) carried out a very wide range of work in his role as Serjeant Painter from 1605, as will be discussed in British picture framemakers (forthcoming edition) on the National Portrait Gallery website. Here, the focus is on his limited activities as a picture restorer. At Whitehall Palace in 1631/2, ‘John Decreetz' and his men repaired two great pieces by Palma, ‘much defaced', David and Goliath and Saul's Conversion, and also repaired and revarnished seven of the set of Titian Emperors, ‘likewise much defaced' (Edmond 1980 pp.173-4; see also Vertue vol.2, p.91).

For abbreviations, see Resources and bibliography.

Thomas de Critz, London. Painter and picture restorer.

The work of Thomas de Critz (1607-53), son of John de Critz (see above), is not well documented but it has been suggested that he may have been responsible for some of Tradescant portraits in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (Edmond 1980 pp.156-7). He died in 1653, apparently unmarried, and was buried on 22 October that year at St Martin-in-the-Fields. In his will, made 18 September 1653, he left his possessions to his brother, Emanuel.

Thomas de Critz repaired paintings in the collection of King Charles I, according to the Office of Works accounts. Working at Whitehall Palace in 1632/3, he repaired various works including an old painting of Adam and Eve, a picture by Holbein, an old Dutch piece, a great piece of a musician by Titian and a great piece of Venus asleep, perhaps the work on panel by Correggio described by his near contemporary, Richard Symonds, as cleaned by ‘Decreetz.' (Vertue vol.1, p.112). The same year, he repaired paintings in the Queen's Cabinet at Somerset House.

Sources: Croft-Murray 1962 p.201, Edmond 1980 p.158. For abbreviations, see Resources and bibliography.

Joseph Deliss (1917-1969). Picture restorer, came to England from Vienna in the late 1930s, and worked in Oxford and London.

Not included since outside the scope of this directory, but see obituary, The Times 31 May 1969, and Runeberg 2005 pp.351-2, 357-8.

Deprez & Gutekunst, see Robert Guéraut

Doig, McKechnie & Davies 1857-1884, Doig & McKechnie 1885-1895, Doig, Wilson & Wheatley 1895-1957. At 60 George St, Edinburgh 1857, 69 George St 1857-1861, 89 George St 1862-1875, 90 George St 1876-1957. Picture dealers, carvers and gilders, picture restorers and printsellers.

See British picture framemakers on the National Portrait Gallery website.

Genaro Domizio, London by 1782, 14 Broad St, Golden Square 1791, 62 Poland St 1791-1792. Picture dealer and picture restorer.

Genaro Domizio came to prominence in London in the early 1790s as a picture dealer and a restorer. He is presumably the Gennaro D'Domizio who married Ann Davis in 1782 at St James Westminster.

As a dealer Domizio advertised his exhibition of pictures by old masters at 47 Brewer St in April 1791, describing it the following month as an exhibition of Italian paintings by the most celebrated Italian masters (The Oracle 20 April 1791, The Times 12 May 1791). In June, he advertised that he was taking a very commodious house at 14 Broad St (The World 25 June 1791), subsequently stating that he had added a new room for showing Old Masters, the entrance being at 62 Poland St (The World 23 December 1791). Shortly afterwards, it was advertised that Mr Genaro Domizio would be leaving the Kingdom and that his collection of pictures, prints and drawings would be sold at his exhibition room at 62 Poland St (The Times 29 January 1792). According to a curious advertisement the following year, he then went overseas, leaving his wife destitute in London (Morning Herald 5 July 1793). It is perhaps worth noting that a Gennaro Di Domizio, ‘natural de Napoles', son of Don Pasquale and Donna Vincenza di Domizio, was recorded in Florida in 1805 (Bruno Roselli, The Italians in colonial Florida: A Repertory of Italian Families..., 1940, p.28).

As a picture restorer, Domizio used his trade card to advertise, probably in 1791, ‘G. Domizio No.14 Broad Street, Golden Square. Repairs, cleans, lines and restores pictures that have been defaced or injured, to their original beauty, by a new process never before discovered. NB. Pictures bought, sold or exchanged.' (Heal coll., the card depicting Mercury and a cherub holding a scroll among the clouds).

For abbreviations, see Resources and bibliography.

Aitken Dott 1842-1879, Aitken Dott & Son 1880-1984, Aitken Dott Ltd 1984-1988, Aitken Dott plc from 1988. At Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh 1842, 12 South St David St 1844-1847, 16 South St David St 1846-1863, 14-16 South St David St 1863-1874, 26 South Castle St or Castle St 1874-1982, 94 George St 1982-1993, 16 Dundas St, EH3 6HZ from 1993. Carvers and gilders, framemakers, artists' colourmen, from the 1890s also fine art dealers and picture restorers.

See British picture framemakers on the National Portrait Gallery website.

Henry Thomas Dover, see Henry Thomas Schäfer

William Drown 1914-1956, William Drown Ltd 1957-1972, William Drown (Bond Street) Ltd 1973-1980. At 8 Fitzroy St, London 1914-1937, 1 Duke St, St James's 1938-1944, 110 New Bond St 1945-1980. Picture liners, restorers and cleaners.

William James Moses Drown (1863-1948) was born in 1863 in the Hendon registration district. He married Jane McDonall in 1886 in the Chelsea registration district and died at the age of 84 in 1948 in the Newbury registration district. In censuses he was listed in 1891 at 37 Ashmore Road, Paddington, as a picture restorer, born Willesden, in 1901 boarding at 55 Chetwynd Road, Portsmouth (presumably on a job), as a fine art restorer, with his family at 213 Bravington Road, Kilburn, namely his wife, Jane, age 37, daughter Phoebe, age 13, listed as a picture restorer, and four young children, and in 1911 at 18 Dynham Road, Hampstead, as a picture restorer and employer, with wife and seven children, including William Henry John, age 20, Frederick, age 14, both picture restorers, and Dudley, age 8.

Drown claimed to have been established for 40 years in 1932 (advertisement, Burlington Magazine, vol.60, March 1932, p.viii), and advertised the ‘Cleaning and Restoration of Old Masters' in 1934 (The Artist, vol.7, June 1934, p.lvii). He held an account with the artists' suppliers, Roberson, from 8 Fitzroy Square and 1a Duke St, 1930-9 (Woodcock 1997). The business's premises in Duke St were bombed during the Second World War. The business held an appointment to King George VI from 1949 and to Queen Elizabeth II from 1955 (London Gazette 4 January 1949, 15 July 1955).

From 1939 William Drown's three sons, W.H.J. Drown, F.E. Drown and D.R.M. Drown, were listed in the London directory as partners in the business, a listing which continued until 1956. The partners can be identified as William Henry John Drown (b.1890), Frederick Elgin Drown (b.1896) and Dudley Robert M. Drown (b.1902), all born in the Paddington registration district. Subsequently the business underwent a number of changes, becoming William Drown Ltd in 1957 and William Drown (Bond Street) Ltd in 1973. A further business, presumably related, traded as Drown & Co Ltd, picture restorers, at 117 Boundary Road in St John's Wood from 1983 to 1987.

William Henry J. Drown married Marthe G. Vanden Berghe in 1914 in the Hampstead registration district, having a son Wiliam R. Drown in 1920 in the same district. This son traded as an old master picture dealer and picture restorer at 45 Dover St from 1957 until 1970, before moving to 41 St James's Place from 1971 until 1990.

Relatively little has been published relating to Drown's work. For the Royal Collection, Drown repaired a panel joint in 1950 in Rubens's Farm at Laeken (McClure 1998 p.93). For museums and institutions, William Drown provided advice on the condition of John Michael Wright's ‘Fire Judges' at the Guildhall in 1943 (Vivien Knight, The Works of Art of the Corporation of London, Cambridge, 1986, p.6, n.14). Messrs William Drown undertook work at Southampton Art Gallery, 1946-53 (Southampton Archives Services: Southampton Art Gallery, SC/ART 1/4/5). In London, the business restored the Coronation Coach before the Coronation in 1953 (Economic Digest, May 1953, vol.6, p.196, from Board of Trade Journal, 21 March 1953, at www.ercouncil.org).

For private clients, Messrs Drown were employed, c.1932-4, to remove from the walls of Sickert's studio his painting on wallpaper, The Raising of Lazarus (Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, see Gott 2007 pp.76-7). The business cleaned and restored Thomas Gainsborough's Byam Family (Private coll.) before it was shown at Tate Gallery in 1935 (The Times 31 January 1935). The business also worked for Sotheby's, and later for Christies (information from David Drown, February 2009).

For abbreviations, see Resources and bibliography.

Dulwich Picture Gallery, Dulwich, London

Not included here since institutional histories are outside the scope of this directory, but see Giles Waterfield, ‘Conservation at Dulwich Picture Gallery 1811-1995', in Conserving Old Masters: Paintings recently restored at Dulwich Picture Gallery, exh.cat., Dulwich Picture Gallery, 1995. The following restorers in this directory worked for the Gallery (much of this information kindly supplied by John Ingamells): Robert Brown 1810-17, Ralph Cockburn 1814, William Biggs 1835-53, Henry Merritt and George Morrill 1864, William Dyer 1871, John Reeve 1874-9, William Holder & Sons 1911-14, H. Reeve & Son 1922-1923, 1931, Johannes Hell 1945-70.

F. Dyer & Sons, 15-17 King St, St James's, London 1924-1925, 15 King St 1926-1934, 35 Bury St, St James's 1935-1936. Picture restorers.

Frederick Augustus Dyer (b.1876), youngest son of William Dyer (see below), set up independently in King St in or before 1924, with F. Dyer and L. Dyer (presumably Lawrence Dyer, his son) listed as partners. In 1935 and 1936 the business traded from neighbouring Bury St with only F. Dyer as a partner.

William Dyer 1866-1891, William Dyer & Sons 1892-1941. At 77 Stanhope St, Hampstead Road, London 1866-1867, 209 Stanhope St 1868-1886, 11 Blenheim St, New Bond St 1871-1872, 4a Orchard St, Portman Square 1873-1886, 8 Orchard St 1887-1892, 7 Mount St 1893-1926, 30 Grosvenor Place 1927-1941. Picture restorers, later also art dealers.

William Dyer (1821-96) claimed to have worked for 20 years with the picture dealer and restorer Henry Farrrer (qv), according to his business card, setting up independently at Farrer's death in 1866. He was described by the collector, W.G. Rawlinson, writing to Whistler in 1888, as ‘the renowned picture doctor in Orchard St' (The Correspondence of James McNeill Whistler at www.whistler.arts.gla.ac.uk, see Whistler Correspondence: William George Rawlinson to JW, [January/February 1888] [05119]).

William Dyer can be traced in censuses, in 1851 at 12 St James's Place, Somers Town, as a painter restorer with his first wife Margaret, in 1871 and 1881 at 209 Stanhope St as a picture restorer and dealer in works of art, born Marylebone, with his second wife Emma, in 1881 with nine children, including William Henry, age 18, and Arthur Edward, age 16, described as picture restorers, in 1891 at 99 Camden Road as a cleaner and repairer of pictures, with five children, including Albert Charles, age 20, and Alfred Ernest, age 18, listed as picture restorers. He died in August 1896 at the age of 74 (The Times 27 August 1896). Probate in his estate was granted in November 1896 to two of his sons, Arthur Edward and Alfred Ernest, with effects valued at £7,969, subsequently revised upwards to £8,515 (information from Lorne Campbell).

From 1892, the business was carried on as William Dyer & Sons. Five of William Dyer's sons became picture restorers, as Lorne Campbell has observed, William Henry (1863-1883?), Arthur Edward (b.1865), Albert Charles (1870-1891?), Alfred Ernest (1872-1941?) and Frederick Augustus (b.1876). In the 1901 census, Arthur Edward, Alfred Ernest and Frederick Augustus were listed as restorers. They were again listed as picture restorers in 1911: Arthur Edward was living in Croydon, an employer, with wife Emma and son, Arthur Thomas, an assistant picture restorer, age 25; Alfred Ernest, was also in Croydon, a picture restorer and employer, with wife Emma, and two sons, Alfred Leslie, age 13, and Roy Stanley, age 5; while Frederick Augustus was living in Tufnell Park, a worker, with wife Jessie and three children of whom Lawrence was recorded as age 6.

There was a picture restorer, relationship unknown, Charles Dyer (c.1836-1901?), the son of a French polisher, William Dyer, who can be traced as a restorer in successive censuses from 1851 to 1901, when he was recorded with his 28-year-old son, Charles Walter Dyer (b.1872), also a picture restorer.

Restoration work: At the National Gallery, according to his obituary notice in 1896, Dyer had had charge of the pictures for the previous 15 years. He was recommended by the artist, George Richmond, and was working for the Gallery as early as 1878, being paid £24.7s in January 1879 for restoring pictures (National Gallery Archive, NGA1/10/169, NG6/5/442, NG13/1/5). Among other pictures, he cleaned and restored Sebastiano del Piombo's Raising of Lazarus (The Times 27 August 1896), Parmigiano's Vision of St Jerome, 1883-4 (An Exhibition of Cleaned Pictures (1936-1947), exh.cat., National Gallery, 1947, pp.55-6) and Holbein's Ambassadors, 1891 (Martin Wyld, ‘The Restoration History of Holbein's Ambassadors', National Gallery Technical Bulletin, vol.19, 1998, p.9). Clearly, the National Gallery had continuing confidence in William Dyer's sons since in 1903 Sir Edward Poynter, then the Gallery's director, told a collector that rather than Buttery (qv), ‘in a very difficult case' he would employ Dyer, who ‘has the lighter hand' (Penny 2004 p.xv). Subsequently, before its acquisition by the National Gallery, Dyer cleaned and restored Titian's Vendramin Family in 1928, when Morrill (qv) relined the picture (Penny 2008 p.210).

The business worked for the National Portrait Gallery between 1889 and 1894, including cleaning and repairing John Partridge's Earl of Aberdeen for £10.10s in 1894, a picture already lined by William Morrill (qv), and cleaning John Everett Millais's Wilkie Collins for £1.10s the same year (National Portrait Gallery records, Duplicates of Accounts, vol.3, pp.13, 75). The business again worked for the Gallery in 1928 (Duplicates of Accounts, vol.9, p.99).

At Sir John Soane's Museum, William Dyer treated many of the paintings in 1882, following work on some of the same paintings by John Seguier (qv) in the 1840s and William Barber Smart (qv) in the 1860s. Dyer's work, ‘cleaning etc', may relate to surface cleaning, particularly necessary in the dirty London atmosphere of the 19th century. He treated the following paintings (all Sir John Soane's Museum, information from Hilary Floe and Helen Dorey): William Beechey's Sir Francis Bourgeois, Francis Bourgeois's A Hen defending her Chickens from the Attack of a Cat, A.W. Callcott's The Passage Point and his The River Thames below Greenwich, Canaletto's A View in Venice: The Piazza di San Marco, Hogarth's two series, The Rake's Progress, and The Election (relined and probably cleaned, and ‘Covered with oil varnish', cost £60), Henry Howard's Lear and Cordelia (relined and repaired), George Jones's The Smoking Room at Chelsea Hospital, Samuel Scott's The River Thames, near the Tower of London, James Thornhill's Sketch for the Ceiling of the Queen's State Bedchamber at Hampton Court, and Zucherelli's A Landscape. The same year, 1882, Dyer also charged for remounting and providing new frames for two watercolours by J.M.W. Turner, View in the Vale of Chamouni, Piedmont: St Hugo denouncing Vengeance on the Shepherd of Cormayeur, and View of Kirkstall Abbey (in fact it was not given a new frame). In 1885 he cleaned the copy on copper of Fra Bartolomeo's Virgin and Child with Saints, and Joshua Reynolds's The Snake in the Grass. Subsequently the Dyer business relined, following damage, Luigi Mayer's View of an Ancient Temple of Agrigentum in 1905, and repaired William Beechey's Sir Francis Bourgeois in 1910.

For Dulwich College in 1871, Dyer lined Thomas Gainsborough's Samuel Linley and Thomas Linley (Dulwich Picture Gallery, information from John Ingamells). For the Duke of Norfolk, W. Dyer & Sons cleaned and lined Le Nain's Adoration of the Shepherds in 1904 or 1907 (National Gallery, see Wine 2001 p.206). Dyer cleaned Gainsborough's Going to Market for Lord Iveagh in 1926 (Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood, see Bryant 2003 p.198).

Sources: Biographical information kindly supplied by Lorne Campbell relating to William Dyer and his children. Business card (example in National Portrait Gallery records, 22.C.5, NPG History Various Notes Late 19th century). For abbreviations, see Resources and bibliography.

Noticed a mistake? Have some extra information? Who should be added to this directory? Please contact Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.