British picture restorers, 1630-1950 - O
A selective directory, to be revised and expanded regularly, 1st edition March 2009. Contributions and corrections are welcome, to Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.
Office of Works
Not included here since institutional histories are outside the scope of this directory. The following restorers in this directory undertook restoration work for the Office of Works: Thomas de Critz at Whitehall Palace, 1632/3, William Kent on Banqueting House ceiling paintings, 1733 and subsequently, and also Stephen Wright 1748, John Bouttats at Greenwich Hospital, 1742, William Oram on wall paintings at Hampton Court, c.1750, and Buckingham House, John Seguier on the Banqueting House ceiling paintings 1831-2, Izod & Co Son on the same ceiling paintings, 1907, Horace Buttery on the Audley End collection, 1952-53. See also Ministry of Works.
William Oram, Haymarket (opposite the Little Theatre), London 1763, Hampstead 1776. Architect and landscape and architectural painter.
William Oram (active c.1737-1777) trained as an architect but turned to landscape painting. He was Master Carpenter in the Office of Works from 1748, a post he held until his death in 1777. In his will, made 4 January 1776 and proved 17 March 1777, William Oram of the parish of St John, Hampstead, left his estate to his wife, Elizabeth.
Oram restored Verrio's work at Hampton Court Palace and Laguerre's at Buckingham House, London (Croft-Murray 1970 p.251). At Hampton Court, with Stephen Wright, he put in a claim to the Treasury for a sum of £320 to be ‘imprest' to them, writing on 4 September 1750 that they had ‘begun to repair the painting on the Kings Great Stair Case' (National Archives, Treasury, T 1/340/61); the actual cost was £590 (see H.M. Colvin (ed.), The History of the King's Works, vol.5, 1660-1782, 1976, pp.182, 472, for the Office of Works and Verrio's paintings).
‘Oram' was a buyer at picture auctions at Dr Mead's sale in 1754 and Van Haecken's in 1758 (‘Sale catalogues of the principal collections of pictures..., 1711-1759', 2 ms vols, V&A National Art Library, 86.OO.18-19).
Noticed a mistake? Have some extra information? Who should be added to this directory? Please contact Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.
