Terra Cotta : Metropolitan Railway Offices, Baker Street, London : advert issued by Gibbs & Canning, Tamworth, Staffordshire in Architectural Review, November 1931
The Tamworth based company of Gibbs & Canning are little recalled now but they were one of the more important manufacturers of faience terracotta finishes that, int he early decades of the Twentieth century was much in vogue. One company whose architect, mentioned here, used their specific products extensively was the Metropolitan Railway in London.
Under their long serving architect Charles W Clark FRIBA the Met underook a series of developments on their Central London sites in the 1920s and '30s. These were mostly station reconstructions such as at Aldgate, Farringdon, Great Portland Street and others and they still display the pale marble/white faience manufactured by Gibbs and Canning. One other major reconstruction was the railway's headquarters buildings, shown here, that are actually on the east side of the Baker Street station 'island' at 13 Allsop Place. These, that form part of the long jigsaw of reconstruction at Baker St, were completed in 1912/13 so Gibbs & Canning were showing a building that was nearly two decades old here. The advert is of interest in that it promotes two products - Faience Terra Cotta and Unglazed Terra Cotta - the latter must have relied on the fireskin formed by kilning rather than the fusing of glazes.
The Metropolitan, in 1931, had less than two years of independence left. Having used the "London" excuse to avoid Grouping of main line railways in 1923, they could not escape the net of London Transport when the LPTB was formed in 1933. The building, now Listed at Grade 2, is still in use as London Underground offices.
Terra Cotta : Metropolitan Railway Offices, Baker Street, London : advert issued by Gibbs & Canning, Tamworth, Staffordshire in Architectural Review, November 1931
The Tamworth based company of Gibbs & Canning are little recalled now but they were one of the more important manufacturers of faience terracotta finishes that, int he early decades of the Twentieth century was much in vogue. One company whose architect, mentioned here, used their specific products extensively was the Metropolitan Railway in London.
Under their long serving architect Charles W Clark FRIBA the Met underook a series of developments on their Central London sites in the 1920s and '30s. These were mostly station reconstructions such as at Aldgate, Farringdon, Great Portland Street and others and they still display the pale marble/white faience manufactured by Gibbs and Canning. One other major reconstruction was the railway's headquarters buildings, shown here, that are actually on the east side of the Baker Street station 'island' at 13 Allsop Place. These, that form part of the long jigsaw of reconstruction at Baker St, were completed in 1912/13 so Gibbs & Canning were showing a building that was nearly two decades old here. The advert is of interest in that it promotes two products - Faience Terra Cotta and Unglazed Terra Cotta - the latter must have relied on the fireskin formed by kilning rather than the fusing of glazes.
The Metropolitan, in 1931, had less than two years of independence left. Having used the "London" excuse to avoid Grouping of main line railways in 1923, they could not escape the net of London Transport when the LPTB was formed in 1933. The building, now Listed at Grade 2, is still in use as London Underground offices.