English and Continental brass, unlike gold and sliver, were not signed. Makers marks were not required as brass was not a precious metal. However, there are a few known candlestick makers that signed or marked their sticks on the undersides. We still don’t have an answer why this was done, but Jean Burks documented in her superb book “Birmingham Brass Candlesticks” and Roderick Butler in “A Study Collection of Marked Domestic Brass Other Base Metalware c1600-1990, we know who these makers were, where and when they worked.
I have always been intrigued with signed, or marked, brass – I think it is the fact that this is an exception – signing brass was no unusual – that I enjoy. Jean Burks documented six makers of brass candlesticks in Birmingham working in the 18th century:
George Grove (worked from 1748 to 1786)
Joseph Wood (worked from 1739 to 1749)
Ed Durnall (worked from 1759 to 1812)
William Lee (worked from 1759 to 1780)
Tomas Lakin (worked from 1736 to 1767)
Thomas Dowler (worked from 1751 to 1808)
There are other known makers of English brass candlesticks in the 1700 and early 1800’s. Roderick Butler’s fantastic article in the Journal of Antique Metalware volume 6 published in 1998 titled “EK an 18th Century Candlestick Maker Unmasked” reveals that candlesticks marked “EK” with a number from 1 to 5 between the two letters, and some candlesticks labeled “Patent K” were the work of Edward Kendrick, a brassfounder that worked in Covent Garden between 1789 and 1801.
Robert Bush was a brassfounder in Bristol, working from the late 1700s, is credited with candlesticks marked “R Bush” on the underside. This is documented in a book titled E. Koldeweij, The English Candlestick 1425-1925. William Harrison marked some candlesticks with an “H” on the underside, and others “Harrison Patent”. William Harrison worked in Birmingham from 1791 to 1818.
Candlesticks, mostly hogscrapers in steel and even more rarely in brass, displaying the name “Shaw” on the tab have been credited to a Birgmingham maker around 1800.
Even more rarely is fidning a candlestick embossed with the name of the seller, rather than the maker. Burks identifies a Birningham retailed named I Ward and Sons that did not make their own candlesticks, but sold those made by others, but had their own name on the undersides.
There are other English brass candlesticks made before 1820 that display names or marks. But considering the hundreds of thousands that were made from 1700-1820, finding any maker mark is extremely uncommon. Again, the history and niche details are what excite me.
I am fortunate to have found some signed sticks over the years and am always looking for more.