Person    | Male  Born 4/4/1872  Died 10/7/1953

Gilbert Bayes

Categories: Sculpture

Born 6 Oval Road, Camden Town. Also did the bronze group with clock at the entrance to Selfridges; Oxford Street (1928); the lovely sculptural work on 1 Wigmore Street (1925) as shown at Ornamental Passions; the reliefs at the Fire Brigade HQ and tow allegorical sculptures, Healing and Charity, at the Royal Masonic Hospital Nurses' Home in Fulham. Also see Father Jellicoe for information about some very unusual Bayes work. Died Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, Marylebone. In this family photo Gilbert is on the right.

Father Basil Jellicoe set up the St Pancras House Improvement Society and decorated the courtyards and gardens with works of art, Doultonware ceramics by Bayes. The nearby British Library has (2013) a small display in the lower level of some of these charming items. Phillip Dawson’s flickr page shows items from the BL display.

A BL information board says “The sculptor Gilbert Bayes was commissioned to create ceramic finials to top the washing-line posts in a number of courtyards. … His main sources of inspiration were folklore, the Bible and medieval romances. Many of his finials symbolised episodes in the lives of saints, after whom buildings on the estates were named. Remarkably the finials survived World War II undamaged but today very few originals remain.”

Many were stolen so the remaining 100 were taken into storage, from where, infuriatingly, they were stolen. Many of the finials in situ now are replicas. Designed for St Pancras, other copies of these figures were made, displayed and were on general sale in the 1930s. So when they turn up for sale it is not possible to claim them back as stolen items.

London Details has a good post on the Sidney Estate, the Jellicoe project where these lovely finials were erected. And Ornamental Passions has some good photos of the ceramic lunettes.

2023: Camden New Journal has an extensive article about the finials, prompted by the recovery of two.

 

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Gilbert Bayes

Commemorated ati

Gilbert Bayes

Gilbert Bayes, 1872 - 1953, sculptor, lived here 1931 - 1953. English Heritage

Read More

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Gilbert Bayes

Creations i

Harry Selfridge at Selfridges

The feet of all the customers visiting "this house" have, over the years, sof...

Read More

Joseph Priestley statue

The thinker in a cubby-hole effect is enhanced by being shrouded in netting (...

Read More

Saville Theatre - Holmes

Ornamental Passions thinks this probably represents Tod Slaughter in the role...

Read More

Saville Theatre - Khaki

This shows Ernie Lotinga in the play 'Khaki'.

Read More

Other Subjects

Eric Kennington

Eric Kennington

Artist and sculptor. Born Chelsea.  Served on the Western Front in WW1 and was invalided out in June 1915.

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial
Pangolin Editions

Pangolin Editions

A foundry which casts and fabricates sculpture.

Group, Craft / Design, Sculpture

2 memorials
Louis Frederick Roslyn

Louis Frederick Roslyn

Sculptor. Born in London as Fritz Roselieb, changed his name when he joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1915. Works in London include the reliefs on Norway House.

Person, Sculpture

5 memorials
Thomas Rudge

Thomas Rudge

Active in 1921.  Probably the same Thomas Rudge at Ornamental Passions.

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial
A. Bertram Pegram

A. Bertram Pegram

English sculptor.

Person, Sculpture

2 memorials

Previously viewed

Sir Henry Wellcome

Sir Henry Wellcome

NW1, Gloucester Gate, 6

English Heritage Sir Henry Wellcome, 1853 - 1936, pharmacist, founder of the Wellcome Trust and Foundation lived here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
3 - T. Burnitt

3 - T. Burnitt

N7, Caledonian Road, 426

These 6 plaques are on the east elevation of the building, below the ground floor windows. We have numbered the plaques left to right. F...

1 subject commemorated
Dan Leno

Dan Leno

Actor and comedian. Born George Wild Galvin at 6 Eve Place, St Pancras. He first appeared on stage as a child with his parents, and in time became the star of the act. As a solo artist, he became i...

Person, Theatre

1 memorial
V&A façade - Thorpe

V&A façade - Thorpe

SW7, Cromwell Road

Excluding the allegories (such as Knowledge) there are 36 statues on the two public façades of the V&A Museum, on Exhibition Road and...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Wallenberg Statue

Wallenberg Statue

W1, Cumberland Place, 332

From the back you can see that the screen is made up of (sculptural) bundles of papers, the Schutzpasses. Unveiled by the Queen. Amongst...

War dead | WW2
2 subjects commemorated, 4 creators