H A R T Gold & Silversmiths (Guild of Handicraft)

Hart's consists of four individual gold & silversmiths who share the work and the costs involved in running the business and the expensive materials.

Our work is a mix of private commissions from a tiny thimble to the largest of tea sets and presentational silverware, reproductions and for the ever-present market in ecclesiastical silverware.

Hart's doors are always open to the public and we are always happy to show visitors around the workshops, which have changed little from the original buildings, which C.R.Ashbee and his associates moved into in 1902. Hart's maintains the afterglow of the fantastic burst of creativity and idealism, which characterised the Arts and Crafts movement.

History

The Guild of Handicraft was founded in 1888 by Charles Ashbee, an architect and devotee of William Morris, its aim to revive craftsmanship, which had been in decline since the industrial revolution.

In 1902, to improve the quality of life for his craftsman, Ashbee moved the Guilds – which included around fifty jewellers, enamelers, woodcarvers, cabinetmakers, silversmiths, French polishers and bookbinders – from workshops in the East End of London to Chipping Camden in the centre of the Cotswolds.

The group, some 200 in all, including wives and children, descended on the town, bringing with them fresh ideas and making the market town a centre for the study of Arts and Crafts and contemporary design in the early part of this century. Although in the long term the experiment was not successful, there were some who stayed on.

Among them was silversmith George Hart, who, in the best traditions of the Guild, passed on his skills to his son Henry.

Henry in turn taught his own son David, who today runs the business with his son William and nephew Julian; Derek Elliott, the fourth member of the studio, also served his apprenticeship with David.

Silver is still hand-crafted in the very same workshop used by C.R Ashbee's silversmiths from 1902 to 1908. (George Hart being one of the silversmiths).

Hart Gold & Silversmiths
The Guild of Handicraft, Sheep Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6DS

The Hart Silversmith Trust

The Hart Silversmiths Trust was established in 2010 Trust to conserve a valuable collection of drawings that were generously donated by the Hart family in Chipping Campden. It was granted charitable status in March 2011.

The collection comprises around 3,500 drawings covering a span of over 100 years, and represents an important part of local heritage, as well as a valuable record of silversmithing and the national Heritage Arts and Crafts movement. The vast majority of these drawings and designs were created by George Henry Hart, the first generation of the Hart silversmiths in Chipping Campden. The collection also includes some drawings by Charles Robert Ashbee, who was an architect, designer, entrepreneur and prime mover of the Arts and Crafts movement.

The drawings have been catalogued and archived in an acid-free, temperature-controlled environment. Many drawings have been cleaned and had conservation work done to them. A key part of the project has been to scan each drawing to create a digital record for educational and research purposes. Further stages of the project will include research into the provenance of each drawing, and tracking ownership of the finished pieces.

Hart Silversmith Trust
The Guild, Sheep Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6DS

http://www.hartsilversmithstrust.org.uk