Clayton and Bell

Scene from the Old Testament in the north aisle window of Bury Parish Church by Clayton and Bell.

Clayton and Bell were one of the most prolific Victorian stained glass manufacturers. They formed their partnership whilst working in the practice of George Gilbert Scott. Other close associations were with the architects G F Bodley and G E Street. They also worked with Heaton and Butler prior to becoming Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The west window of King's College Chapel, Cambridge, is by Clayton and Bell.

Minton Mosaic

I'm hung up on the church at Bury (J. S. Crowther) at the moment - the range, quality and detail of decoration is remarkable. I think that the latest Pevsner states that the Minton mosaic floor is a tour de force. I took the pic above in the Chancel area which leads to the reredos by Gibbons.

Unlike William Burgess's church at Studley, the Nave floor is equally as sumptuous, with only subtle changes in the hierarchy of colour, pattern and detail as it leads you to the sanctuary.

It makes me dizzy with delight walking into the Church along the Minton mosaic, past the Kempe window and towards the Gibbons reredos. This is only the start of the stylistic saturation.

More to come...

Here's my del.icio.us tag for floors - includes a biog of the Mintons and a link to the Architectural Ceramics Society.

Here's my del.icio.us tag for Bury Parish Church - including a link to their site and directions on how to get there.

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

Charles Eamer Kempe

There is a beautiful stained glass window at Saint Mary the Virgin Bury Parish Church, Lancashire, by the renowned stained glass artist Charles Eamer Kempe. He has a style all of his own and was reputed to shun from repetition in his work. He particularly liked peacock motif's and his signature was a haystack (post 1895).

Here's a link to my del.icio.us tag on Kempe

Here's a link to the latest tabblo on Bury Parish Church

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

Edgar Wood - Research and Information

House in Middleton, Lancashire by Edgar Wood 1906

Here's my latest del.icio.us links to everything Edgar Wood (architect). Including what links the artist Stirling Lee with Wood's Long Street Methodist Church and the Lindley Clock Tower.

Also a note from Banniser Fletcher talking of an Olbrich influence on Wood.

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

Darnall Crucible Steel Works

On Saturday I visited the Darnall Crucible Steel Works which was organised by Ray Wilson as part of a SPAB visit. The site, where crucible steel was produced, is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. I have put together a microsite here with more information and access to photo's and links.

Below is a tabblo photostory of the days visit. Click on the image to get a larger view.

PS. Thanks to Sue for the lift into Sheffield!

Burgeoning Delicious

Here's a snapshot of my burgeoning del.iciou.us tags just click the pic to go and see

Bury Parish Church

I spent the morning at Bury Parish Church again today. I joined the Rector and the Curator for the 9am service in the Choir stalls - just the three of us reciting the liturgy. Nice break between shots of angels, biblical characters and the stalls. Here's a tabblo of todays photo's. Click on the pic for a bigger image..

See my Tabblo>

Archilicious!

My del.icio.us presence is ever growing and I have recently introduced several themed bundle tags as follows:-

Architects
Architectural Images by Category
Architectural Styles (eg art nouveau)
Architecture Portals
Building Conservation Directory
Designers (eg Christopher Dresser)
Genius Loci
Research Aids
Rochdale Town Hall
Fotofacade

Archivods

If you go to my new revamped website there is a new section called 'Archimedia'. Under that section I have added a podcast section. Early days yet, but I have started a series called Archivods with the first in the series being my slideshow 'Manchester. Dialogue with a city'. You can find the series in ITunes here, subscribe to it and download it onto your ipod.

Continuity in Architecture

I received an email from Dominic Roberts last week. He is an architect and contributes to a blog from the Manchester School of Architecture. I had a read through it this morning and there's some refreshing stuff about putting contemporary architecture into context of its historical past.

Here's a quote:

"We are interested in the qualities of places that have persisted and we prefer a reading of history that stresses the permanence of tradition as the subject of architecture. Tradition in architecture in this context is the embodied meaning of buildings and cities produced by centuries of lived experience. Embodied meaning can be interpreted through building. Discovery and recognition are a vital part of the design process - we presume that we have a duty to carefully analyze and describe a place before we can alter it. Can the legibility of architecture be increased through the establishment of continuity with history?"

If your'e interested in all aspects of architecture then this site is well worth hooking up to. Could have done with the above quote when I was completing my thesis on Genius Loci in Architecture.

Dating Old Buildings

I must admit that I am fascinated by architectural history, especially when the clues have to be found within the building's structure. There are many clues including change of material, orientation, style and colour. Above is a photo I took of a church in yorkshire showing two phases revealed by the change in style. On the left we have the later perpendicular style of gothic architecture and on the right we have the earlier decorated (geometric) style.

There is a great introduction to dating old buildings by Frank Kelsall on the Building Conservation Website


Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

It's a book thing...

You can see my growing bookshelves here on LibraryThing, with an ever increasing number of reviews also. Mostly of an architectural and photographic theme.

ArchiBling: Saint Mary's Bury Lancashire UK

Right here, and out there, right under our noses, are literally tens of thousands of exquisite and overwhelming works of art with remarkable cultural significance which we can view for free if we turn up at the right time.

The UK is a treasure box of priceless art which has been accumulated over thousands of years.

Here in the northern town of Bury in Lancashire is one example. Saint Mary's church has a remarkable interior. Walk into the nave and allow your eyes to be led by the sumptuous Minton mosaic floor towards the alter where a visual treat awaits you in the gilded oak reredos using evocative themes such as the adoration of the Magi to fill your senses..... and here it is.

click on the image to see the reredos in its full glory

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

Manchester, Dialogue with a city

Here's a slideshow of images I have put together focusing on Manchester UK but with the general themes of urban life, architecture, city life and the built environment.





Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

The Colour of Light

My latest book review on LibraryThing is Tadao Ando, The Colour of Light by Richard Pare

This book is as much about the photography than the architecture. Richard Pare is a UK photographer with a deep insight into Ando's work. His photograph's pick up on Ando's penchant for the abstract and turns minimalist concrete structures into things of beauty.

To see all my book reviews click here

LibraryThing

Early days yet but you can view my tag cloud at Librarything....

Temple Street Baptist Middleton by Edgar Wood

Collection Box with a drawing of Temple Street Baptist Church

Sorry to report that Temple Street Baptist is closing in October after opening its doors in 1889. This is an early building by the Arts and Crafts architect Edgar Wood which has more than a little of the Butterfield influence with its polychromatic facade and eclectic style. Wood said that he drew his inspiration from C13th English (thanks to John Archer).


I have spent the last two afternoons with Cynthia who kindly chaparoned me throughout the building.

Here's my delicious tag for Edgar Wood

Here's a tabblo I made from some of the photo's taken - click on the pic for bigger picture

See my Tabblo>

Read fotofacade in French!

Here's a link to read this blog in French.

Fotopromenade Tabblo

Here's a tabblo selection of some of my favourite images on my photoblog fotopromenade. Click on the images to go to view the full tabblo.

Conceptual Facade

Deansgate Manchester UK

This is another sale to a professional business this week. Some of the keywords behind the image may have helped including dynamic, rooted, professional, historic, progress, timescale. It's remarkable what a simple photo can convey. It's equally remarkable what the contrast between two structures can communicate. Here the contrast works because of style, material, colour and scale.

Our built environment is constantly switched on and we are more often than not subconsciously switched on to it. The messages it conveys are endless.

Who said that architecture didn't speak to us?

You can download this image for licensed use here


Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

New Website!

My fotofacade website has now been upgraded.

It is essentially a portal to all of my online activities including: blog, photoblog, archivids, archimaps, delicious tags and bundles, book library etc. It also has a search facility so that you can search almost 7000 online images at alamy or my images at the National Trust Photo Library. I've also added a separate page dedicated to conceptual and montage imagery.

Hope you like it!

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

It's a Library Thing

I'm currently reading a few books focused around the High Victorian period. Doctor Christopher Dresser is particularly interesting and his work was, in my opinion, far advanced of his time. His output was prolific and his designs are refreshingly contemporary and still in production today.

I have added the book to my Library Thing collection which I started last week. Library Thing is a wonderful way to record what books you have read or want to read. I have only just started adding books but you can see the start of my collection here. Click on 'Cover View' to see the collection as if its on a bookself.

Here's my DELICIOUS tags for Christoper Dresser.

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

Oklahoma!

Went again to Manchester this morning to continue photographing the Northern Quarter and later stayed in Oklahoma for a while with a coffee and a toasted sandwich. What is it about this place that I love? It has a great atmosphere, good coffee and food at reasonable prices, considerate staff and one of the most eclectic collections of esoteric giftware on the planet with a record shop and art gallery thrown in. Now theres a recommendation for you...

Finished off back at the Long Street Methodist Church where they are open for Heritage Weekend. Showed a lovely couple around the Edgar Wood (architect) sites of Middleton.

Perfect day!

More Christmas Cheer

Another Christmas sale yesterday - this one for a Christmas card. The image is of the Manchester Wheel (UK).

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

Trinity Bridge

(click for larger image)

Trinity Bridge, Manchester UK by Santiago Calatrava.

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.

ARCHIVIDS

Ancoats, Manchester UK

Here's a convenient link to my growing collection of archivids which I have submitted recently on google video.

Middleton's Romanesque Arch

The Parish Church of Saint Leonard Middleton has a rich tapestry of history dating back to Saxon times. Evidence of the Romanesque influence can be found in entrance to the tower which has remnants of a Romanesque arch re-set from its original semi-circular arch into a pointed arch at a later date. What might the original arch have looked like? Here with the magic of Photoshop I have reset the semi-circular arch to its original status. I took the images courtesy of Middleton Parish Church during a survey of the building for my Post Graduate Diploma in Building Conservation.

ARCHIVIDS

Just to let you know of a new (and growing) category - 'ARCHIVIDS'. It is essentially a collection of slideshow images of various buildings that take my interest. We have three on offer at the moment: MANCAT HARPURHEY, HEXAGON TOWER, AND ANCOATS MANCHESTER.

Hope to introduce some more shortly. You can find the archivids link in the ever growing categories section in the right hand column.

Ancoats Manchester Archivid

Here's an archivid of my most recent work in Ancoats Manchester, UK. Ancoats was the world's first industrial suburb, and is undergoing a regeneration programme which has introduced a mixed use of contemporary architecture combined with a re-use of the historic industrial heritage. More here...

Manchester Project

click image for a bigger photo

I am part way through a project on Manchester at the moment for a photo book entitled 'Manchester, Dialogue with a city..'. Here's one of the photo's from the book. The book is due out early next year.

Andy Marshall is a professional architectural photographer. Most images can be downloaded 24/7 at Alamy

More about Andy Marshall
Contact Andy Marshall
Search all of Andy Marshall's Images

All images are copyright Andy Marshall and must not be used without prior permission.