The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project Forum Index The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project
(Registered Scottish Charity No. SC043826). Please visit our homepage at www.scottishmilitaryresearch.co.uk
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Aberdeenshire Memorial?

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project Forum Index -> Queries and Requests
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
jamiemcginlay



Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 930
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:03 pm    Post subject: Aberdeenshire Memorial? Reply with quote

A lady in Cardiff wrote to me years ago asking if I could help identify a war memorial which is supposedly in Aberdeenshire. Her uncle worked as an apprentice to the sculptor Storr-Barber and stood as the model for the soldier sculpture which was sent to Aberdeen. Her family have been trying to locate it for years.
I can't identify it. My guess is that one of the big granite firms in Aberdeen has probably commissioned this sculptor to model a full scale soldier in plaster so that their own Aberdeen masons could carve copies in granite. The firm would also have bought the copyright and would probably have given no acknowledgement to the sculptor so his name wouldn't necessarily be carved on the sculpture.
The most similar memorial I can think of is Rhynie but there are significant differences. The Rhynie soldier wears a great coat, his right hand rests on top of his left, and his head is bowed. However it is quite possible that the Aberdeen masons might have made slight changes to the memorial such as the great coat and bowed head, espescially if they were carving several memorials from the same model, so as to make each memorial unique. Also there is always the chance the plaster model was damaged on its train journey to Aberdeen, the head might have broke off and the masons might have re-fixed it in a bowed attitude.
Because of all thes considerations I think it is the Rhynie soldier but maybe a pal up in the North East knows better?
Below - a photocopy of the original sculpture taken from a Hereford Newspaper, sorry about the poor quality, hope its clear enough.

Below - The Rhynie soldier


The newspaper above reads:
"ABERDEEN AND HEREFORD
Our readers will remember that we recently published some articles entitled 'Why Aberdeen comes to Hereford'. These dealt with the growth of the statue which was being sculptured in Hereford by Mr. W.G. Storr-Barber for an Aberdeen War Memorial.
The work has been completed and the statue has now been despatched to Aberdeen. As shown by the picture above the statue is a fine piece of work and one for which Hereford and Mr. Storr-Barber can be proud."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
jamiemcginlay



Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 930
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have started to come round to the idea that this might be the Newmains war memorial in Lanarkshire (and so also possibly the Enniskillen memorial). The figures are both very similar and the hands placed in the same way over the butt of the rifle. Unfortunately I have not had any success in confirming the name of the Newmains or Enniskillen sculptor. The National Inventory of War Memorials lists the Enniskillen sculptor as Philip Flanagan but the only information I can find on an artist of that name is a modern sculptor so I think this must be the sculptor who carried out the renovation after the bomb blast over the 1990's.
I suppose I could grab some big ladders and climb up for a look, otherwise any suggestions of where to look?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
David McNay
Administrator


Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 11425
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Doesn't look too much like the Newmains figure.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
jamiemcginlay



Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 930
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello David,
The trouble is the photocopy is in such poor condition. In the photo I think it might actually be the model standing beside the sculptor rather than the actual statue, which would explain why the figure has his head tilted slightly upwards, rather than bowed as it is in the statue. Otherwise when you look at the uniform and kit, and the way the hands are placed, Newmains is the only real candidate I can think of.
If the name of the sculptor for Newmains could be found that would settle the matter.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
anne park
Our first ever 2000 poster


Joined: 25 Sep 2007
Posts: 21200
Location: Aberdeen

PostPosted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:51 am    Post subject: Memorial Mannie Reply with quote

I've had a look at several photos from NE to check if any look like the photocopied soldier. Udny Green is possible with a few slight changes.
Anne
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jamiemcginlay



Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 930
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just posted some photos of Wanlockhead and realised this is another candidate.
One thing is in the Storr Barber photo the soldier's head is held up but when sculptors built the armature to create a framework for the sculpture the head was usually formed out of four pieces of lead piping which would form a kind of basket over which the clay was modelled into the head. I think the sculptor would then model the head held up since it is easier to work with, and when the work was completed they would then gently bend the head downwards, the lead piping being soft and bendable it would allow this.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Alec Whitfield



Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The references to Storr-Barber interest me as I am putting together a brief biography of him.
Is there any possibility of there being date for the Hereford Times item please?
Both photographs in the thread are very similar to Storr-Barber's style. We have several of his soldiers in Herefordshire, all slightly different.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Adam Brown
Curator


Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jamiemcginlay wrote:
I just posted some photos of Wanlockhead and realised this is another candidate.


Jim

I don't think Wanlockhead is a candidate. My reason is the collar is different. This stand collar is seen on a few Scottish memorials, the one at Lochmaben springs to mind and I think it's probably by the firm who did them and so I don't think Wanlockhead is one of Storr-Barber's works.

I'll have a trawl through the Moray / Aberdeenshire / Angus memorials to see if any look similar.

Adam
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website MSN Messenger
Adam Brown
Curator


Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see the Udny and Rhynie statues are very similar.

Udny, Aberdeenshire



Jim Grant provided this update on the Udny thread

"The figure of a serviceman in mourning pose is identical to the Rhynie & Kearn War Memorial. The stonemasons of both were Morren & Co, Holland St, Aberdeen. The carver at Udny was Frank Coutts. Rhynie was the work of Robert Warrack Morrison."

Adam
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website MSN Messenger
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project Forum Index -> Queries and Requests All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group. Hosted by phpBB.BizHat.com