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

*Henry Halford 1868, Halford Bros 1869-1904. At 5 Hanway St, London 1868-1873, 361 Oxford St 1874-1881, renumbered 1881, 169 Oxford St 1881-1904. Picture dealers, artists' colourmen.

The origins of this business lie with the artists' colourmen at 5 Hanway St, trading as Millar and Halford in 1867, Henry Halford in 1868 and Halford Bros, 1869-1873. The trade card of Halford Bros as Fine Art Gallery, 169 Oxford St, set out their services as 'Artists' Colourmen, Outline Publishers, Picture Frame Makers, & Mount Cutters, Wholesale and Retail' (Johnson Coll. Trade Cards 2 (11).

The brothers, Henry Carpenter Halford (c.1833-1898) and Charles François Halford (c.1835-1899), traded together as Halford Brothers at 169 Oxford St, as artists colourmen, outline publishers and picture dealers, until their partnership was dissolved in 1882 (London Gazette 28 February 1882). In census records, Henry Halford was recorded as a baker in 1861 and 1871, his father's trade, and as an artists' colourman in 1881 and 1891. In 1881, age 48, he was living at 49 Parkhurst Rd with his father James, brother George age 56, and sister. Charles Halford was recorded as an artists' colourman in 1871 and 1891 and as a picture dealer in 1881, age 45. In 1891 he was recorded in the census at 86 Park St, Camden Town, where he traded as Charles Halford, artists' colourman, 1886-1899. The business continued after his death as Halford Bros 1900-5.

Two canvas marks have been recorded, pre-1882 and after 1886.

Henry James Hall, see George Bowden

John Hall, see Ebenezer Fox

*J. Hampson, 36 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool 1844. Canvas supplier.

In an advertisement in 1844, J. Hampson, proprietor of Mount Pleasant Oil and Colour Store, described himself as grateful for favours bestowed on him in the previous 12 months, wording which would suggest that he had only recently opened in business (Liverpool Mercury 17 May 1844). He went on to offer prepared canvas in rolls and mounted on stretching frames, wood panels, millboards, oils, colours and varnishes, brushes, pencils, gilding equipment, tube and bladder colours, easels, drawing boards, palettes, drawing paper, stumps and crayons.

A marked canvas has been recorded (repr. Katlan 1992 p.460).

James Duffield Harding, 12 North Crescent, Bedford Square, London 1826-1830, 4 Gordon Square 1833-1848, 3 Abercorn Place, St John's Wood 1848-1860, 15 Lonsdale Terrace, Barnes 1860-1863. Landscape painter and lithographer.

James Duffield Harding (1797-1863) advertised pure drawing paper, reproducing a letter to the manufacturer of the paper dated 14 June 1841 (The Art-Union August 1841 p.129, and subsequently); these papers were produced for Winsor & Newton as early as 1840 (Bower 1999 p.129) and advertised by Ackermann & Co in 1847 (The Most Essential Requisites for Artists and Amateurs selected from the general list, in T.H. Fielding, The Knowledge and Restoration of Old Paintings, 1847). Drawing pencils were sold under Harding's name, e.g. by Marsh and Beattie, Edinburgh (qv), as was Harding's lesson desk, registered 9 February 1849, by Winsor & Newton (advertisements appended to W. Winsor & H.C. Newton, The Hand-book of Water-colours, 7th ed., 1849). Harding's 'Permanent Tints for Miniature Painting' were 'prepared only by G. Rowney & Co', 1851 (see under Rowney). Papers named after the artist were widely stocked and remained commercially available until early in the 20th century (Bower 1999 p.129). Harding had an account with Roberson, 1830-9, from 12 North Crescent and 4 Gordon Square, and in 1857 from 3 Abercorn Place (Woodcock 1997). In 1861 a patent was given to Harding and William Henry Winsor for the invention of 'improvements in drawing materials and apparatus for the use of artists' (London Gazette 21 June 1861).

Portrait: For a watercolour portrait drawing of Harding by Laurence Theweneti, 1825, in the National Portrait Gallery, see National Portrait Gallery.

Sources: Peter Bicknell and Jane Munro, Gilpin to Ruskin: Drawing Masters and their manuals, 1800-1860, Fitzwilliam Museum, exh.cat., 1988, pp.102, 111-5. Various papers at the Courtauld Institute of Art, see www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search2?coll_id=1816&inst_id=2; letters to W.H. Winsor of Winsor & Newton concerning artists' materials and other matters, 1860-3 (Victoria and Albert Museum Library, MSL/1979/4694).

L. & C. Hardtmuth 1876-1910, L. & C. Hardtmuth Ltd 1911-1916. At 23 Abchurch Lane, London EC (Heintzmann and Rochussen, agents) 1876-1879, 14 Holborn Viaduct EC 1880-1882, 3 Long Lane, West Smithfield 1883, 2 Long Lane 1884-1890, 12 Golden Lane EC 1891-1910, Koh-i-noor House, Kingsway WC 1911-1916, 29 Kingsway 1923-1934, Stafford Road, Croydon 1935-1941 or later, Church Rd, Epsom by 1953. Pencil makers.

This business was founded in Austria in 1790. It exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851 (Hardtmuth's Price List of Lead and Red Crayon Pencils, 2pp, bound into the Official Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition 1851, vol.16, Victoria and Albert Museum Library, EX.1851.135). Hardtmuth advertised the Koh-i-noor pencil, made in Austria (The Year's Art 1908, and elsewhere). Heintzmann and Rochussen, their agents in 1879, also acted for A.W. Faber (qv). Like some other overseas companies, Hardtmuth ceased trading in London during the First World War.

John Hare, 21 King St, Bristol 1787, see William Reeves

George Harris, 31? Shoe Lane, London, 1800s-1820s. Copper plate maker. A candidate for the next edition of this Directory. Contact Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.

James Harris, Plymouth 1822.

Submitted 'a syringe for the purpose of preserving oil paint' to the Society of Arts, 1822 (Ayres 1985 p.110).

Joseph Harvey, 15 Catherine St, Strand, London 1839-1849. Artists' colourman.

Joseph Harvey followed John Wikey (qv) at 15 Catherine St. He was recorded at this address in the 1841 census as Artists Colourman, age 35, together with William Harvey, also listed as age 35 (ages were rounded down to the nearest five in this census). He was declared bankrupt in 1848 (London Gazette 21 November 1848). His canvas mark has been recorded.

*William Hebden, 51 Sheen Lane, East Sheen, London 1903-1908, Hebden & Sons, 4 West Hill, Wandsworth 1908-1910. Carvers and gilders, picture framemakers and artists' colourmen.

See British picture framemakers | H.

*George Hennekin, 64 Berwick St, London 1781, 9 Marylebone St, Golden Square 1784, 12 Marylebone St 1785, Berwick St 1797, 7 Charles St, Berners St 1800-1809. Carver and gilder, picture framemaker, lay figure maker.

George Michael Hennekin (?1746-1812) was christened on 8 June 1746 at St James's Westminster, the son of Simon Hennekin (qv). He is possibly George Henniken, cabinet maker, who insured his house at Wethey Court, White Cross St, London, with the Sun Fire Office in 1775 (DEFM). He advertised as successor to his late father in 1781 (Public Advertiser 24 November 1781). In his will, dated 5 February 1797 and proved 29 August 1812, George Hennekin of Berwick St, St James's, made bequests to his wife, Mary, and his sister, Ann.

Like his father, George Hennekin specialised in laymen for artists. In 1781 he advertised from 64 Berwick St as a lay figuremaker and carver and gilder in general, offering artists 'an exceedingly good Lay Figure, in true Proportions, five Feet six inches high, will suit for either Man or Woman', also cautioning the public against 'some unproportionable LAME Figure-makers in London', and offering picture frames in all sizes in the modern taste as usual (Public Advertiser 24 November 1781). George Hennekin's neoclassical trade card from 9 Marylebone St describes him as 'Carver and Gilder in General Pictures & Prints Fram'd & Glaz'd. NB Laymen for Artists' (Johnson coll. Trade Cards 24 (49).

*Simon Hennekin, Wardour St, London 1749, Broad St, Soho 1762, Edward St (opposite Broad St), Soho 1763-1776. Carver and gilder, framemaker, lay figure maker.

Simon Hennekin, sometimes spelt Henekin, married Elizabeth Cook at St Marylebone in 1743 and had four children christened at St Anne's Soho or St James's Westminster, 1744-53, including the carver and gilder, George Hennekin (qv). He was dead by 1781, when his son advertised as his successor (Public Advertiser 24 November 1781).

Simon Hennekin was listed in 1763 in Mortimer's Universal Director as being 'eminent for making laymen for Painters, &c'; he also advertised from Edward St, 'Frames of all sorts', as well as carving and gilding for buildings, ships, signs and furniture (trade label, Heal coll. 32.31, repr. Ayers 1985 p.142). He sent his advertisement as carver and gilder, Broad St, Soho, to Sir John Cust of Belton Hall, seeking his custom in February 1762 (Lincolnshire Archives, BNLW 2/1/4/1).

A layman by Simon Hennekin, contained in a box with his label, belonged to the wardrobe designer, Ann Whytell in 1769, and is now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (repr. American Art Journal, vol.27, 1995, p.23). In the same year, 1769, he was reported to have produced a 'most curious clay horse for the Academie Royal of Paris' (Gazeteer and New Daily Advertiser 20 February 1769).

Sources: DEFM.

*John Heywood, 143 Deansgate, 1-5 Brazennose St and Ridgefield, Manchester, also 1 Paternoster Buildings, London. Bookseller, stationer, publisher, printer, artists' materials suppliers.

This Manchester bookselling, publishing and stationery business was founded by John Heywood (1804-64) and continued by his son, also John Heywood (1832-88) (Frederic Boase, Modern English Biography, Truro, 1892, vol.1, column 1458). Its history is not traced in detail here but by the 1890s the business had warehouses in London, Bristol and Liverpool. It had an account with Roberson, 1879-1908 (Woodcock 1997). Its published trade catalogue, c.1891-2, featured many Winsor & Newton products, but also those of Barnard, Lechertier Barbe, Reeves and Rowney for painting, B.S. Cohen, Hardtmuth and Wolff & Son for drawing, as well as Heywood's own products (John Heywood's Catalogue of Artists' and Drawing Materials and Publications on the Fine Arts, 134pp). The business also acted as Manchester agent for the 'Titian' Medium Manufacturing Co (qv) in 1902.

*Alexander Hill, 50 Princes St, Edinburgh 1828-1840 as bookseller, stationer and artists' colourman, 67 Princes St 1839-1866 (until 1846 as publisher, colourman and printer to the Royal Scottish Academy, and from 1847 as printseller and publisher to the Queen and R.S. Academy).

Alexander Hill (1800-66), the son of Thomas Hill, a Perth bookseller and publisher, was apprenticed to the Edinburgh publishers, William Blackwood & Sons. He was listed in 1826 as 'Of Hill & Son', that is, Thomas Hill & Sons. In 1830 he was appointed 'Colourman, Printseller and Stationer to the Academy', the recently founded Scottish Academy, where his younger brother, David Octavius Hill, was the new Secretary. Alexander Hill advertised newly published engravings in The Art-Union June 1842 and May 1845. In the 1861 census he was recorded at 7 Dundas St as a printseller, employing five men and several boys, with his son Thomas, age 28, also listed as a printseller at this address. Hill died in June 1866; his obituary dwelt on his role in improving the print selling and print publishing trade in Scotland (The Scotsman 16 June 1866).

In an advertisement announcing the publication of a print in 1833, Hill claimed 'to have at all times the most complete Stock out of London, of Oil Colours, Canvas, Oils, Varnish, and every other requisite for the Artist and Amateur. A fresh supply received every month' (The Scotsman 2 February 1833). By 1835 he was advertising an extensive range of artists' materials under four headings, For the Painter, For Crayon and Water Colours, For the Field Artist and Montague Stanley's Drawing Pencils, featuring bladder colours (fresh twice a month) and cake colours by the most approved makers, etc (Gray's Annual Directory and Edinburgh Almanac 1835-1836, 1835, p.464). Hill had an account with Roberson, 1830-66 (Woodcock 1997).

Hill issued a trade catalogue appended to a guide to the Scottish Academy exhibition (A Companion to the Exhibition, 1841); in this he advertised Whatman, Newman and Reeves materials and featured brushes, boxes of velvet colours, 21 different London bladder colours at 6d a bag, brass squirts in four different sizes filled with oil colour, and materials for mezzotints (Esme Gordon, The Royal Scottish Academy of Painting Sculpture & Architecture 1826-1976, Edinburgh 1976, pp.54-5). His label can be found on Francis Grant's Edwin Landseer, c.1852, and his stencilled canvas mark on John Ballantyne's Robert Michael Ballantyne, c.1855 (both National Portrait Gallery).

Sources: www.nls.uk/catalogues/resources/sbti/index.html

J.D. Hirst-Smyth & Son, see Percy Young

Philip Thomas Hoggins, see Lewis Berger

T. Hopkins, 11 Gough Square, Fleet St, London EC 1880s. Artists' and engravers' boxwood block manufacturer. A candidate for the next edition of this Directory. Contact Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.

Max Hübner & Co, 3 Bunhill Row, London EC 1888-1889, not listed 1890-1892, 88 Chiswell St 1893, 45 Old St 1894-1895. Agent, artists' colourman.

Max Hübner was listed in business simply as 'merchants' in 1887. The business advertised as sole agent for Heyl's Artists' Colours and Günther Wagner's watercolours, also Hübner's artists' brushes and materials (The Year's Art 1888) and was listed as an artist' colourman in 1889, subsequently acting as wholesale agent for Madderton & Co (qv) (The Year's Art 1893-5). In 1895 Hübner's address at 45 Old St was the same as that of Maret & Co (qv), but the business was not listed in the Post Office Directory for that year. Max Hübner is probably to be identified in the 1901 census as the individual of this name, of German origin, age 43, living in Camberwell and described as a Manufacturers Agent of Fancy Goods, employed on his own account, with wife, one son and four daughters; he was made bankrupt in 1904 when trading as G. Mengel & Co (London Gazette 25 November 1904).

Mr Hudson, 18 Angel Court, Princess St, Westminster 1787, see James Poole

William Hudson, see Edward Kebby

Richard Hughes, Hughes & Kimber, Hughes & Kimber Ltd, Wilfred C. Kimber, Shoe lane and other London addresses, 19th and 20th centuries. Materials for engravers etc. A candidate for the next edition of this Directory. Contact Jacob Simon at jsimon@npg.org.uk.

Thomas Henry Hunt, see Joseph Middleton

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