Alfred Newman
Alfred Alvarez Newman
Also known as Alfred Abraham was born in London in 1851 died in London Jan 21st 1887 age 35. He was a Jewish metal work and art collector with a deep interest in the history of English Jews.
Founded “The Old Smithy” in London as part of the early Arts and Crafts Movement.
Alfred Alvarez Newman
PDF of Alfred Newman’s Book
Alfred A. Newman was an antiquarian, metal-worker, and prominent member of the London Jewish community. He was enamored with the ideals of the new “Arts & Crafts” movement in England. This movement fantasized about a simpler time where more work was handmade by skilled craftsmen.
He was passionate enough about the topic that he wrote several papers and include one of those papers in the book he printed to advertise his shop.
In the paper he writes about the use of cast iron decorations in metalwork in strong terms, “productions of the foundry has caused one to wonder why this beautiful art has become superseded by cast iron. As far back as the beginning of the 18th century castings were intermixed with wrought work and the evil having commenced the wrought work became gradually exterminated and casting came entirely into vogue. The florid designs and general pretentious effect producible at moderate cost.”
With this focus on a mythical traditional blacksmithing ideal he founded “The Old English Smithy” which was rife with images of an idealized smithy in a country cottage.
While Alfred provides sketches and locations for a number of works he designed I have only found 1 existing example in Ravenstone Church in South Derbyshire.
From their Facebook page you can see the work in place.
The image from Alfred Newman’s catalog of his Old English smithy is almost certainly a complete fabrication meant to recall an earlier period.
Newman’s forges are listed in 10 & 11 Archer street which was part of a building called the Archer Street Chambers (9-11 Archer Street). The Archer Street Chambers were built in 1882-83 and were designed as dwellings for artists.
This photo shows the Archer Street Chambers buildings in the 1960s where the forges seem to have been located.
Archer Street Chambers, 1882–3, in 1960 (p. 52)
- https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols31-2/pt2/plate-139#h3-0002
- Ravenstone Church Facebook Page
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Alvarez_Newman
- https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11507-newman-alfred-alvarez